


The Art Of Phantom Thievery

by Rui_The_Galax_Angel



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/F, M/M, Ren attends Kosei AU, Slow Burn, i've been planning this damn thing for months, ren needs some help please give the poor boy a hug, there are some original characters but they're not important pay no mind, this is definitely gonna be the longest fic i've ever written and i'm slightly terrified, this is just a ren goes to kosei au with some story alterations and headcannons thrown in
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2019-09-06 08:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 49,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16828444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rui_The_Galax_Angel/pseuds/Rui_The_Galax_Angel
Summary: After being arrested for a crime he didn't commit and sent to Tokyo for probation, Ren Amamiya managed to earn a music scholarship at the prestigious Kosei High. However, he had no idea that it would end up as the most eventful year of his life, or that he'd meet the most important person in his life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I hope you guys enjoy this fic. I've been planning it since the summer, but I kept on putting off actually writing it 'cause I was scared that A) It was gonna be ridiculously long (Which it definitely is) and B) That is would suck. But, I finally started writing it a month ago, and finished the first chapter in three days. I'm still writing the second chapter, but it should be done soon (Hopefully)...  
> Also, I'm sorry, but please don't expect frequent updates... This is by far one of the hardest things I've ever wrote and my attention span kinda sucks, so it'll probably take me quite a while to write each chapter... So, I'm really sorry about that.  
> But, yeah, my friend convinced me to finally publish this, after a few weeks of me hating absolutely everything I've ever written (You know, that kinda phase... Thanks, brain...) Sooooooo, yeah, I really hope that you enjoy this.

"Damn brat! I'll sue!"

Those words had been echoing through Ren's head constantly since that night. He just wanted to help, why'd it end up like this? His eyebrows creased together as he frowned down at his phone.

"Next stop: Shibuya. Train doors are now opening." The announcement pulled the boy out of his thoughts, causing him to to quickly jump to his feet and jog through the train doors. Quickly, he pulled up the map on his phone again, so he could figure out where he was supposed to be going. Although, he found it hard to focus. All he could think about was the look on his parents' faces when they came to visit him at the police station. The look of pure disappointment and disgust.

"How stupid are you?"

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"This is going to reflect badly on us..."

"What about our reputation?!"

"You've just destroyed your chance of a successful future!"

"I don't want a criminal for a son!"

He sighed as those comments bounced around in his brain; they said that he was being sent to Tokyo for his probation, which he knew was true, but he couldn't help but think that they just didn't want to deal with him. They didn't even see him off at the train station, they just stood at the front door of their home and warned him to behave himself 'or else'. 

Ren couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. The city of Shibuya was much larger, busier and louder than his hometown. His main problem was squeezing through the crowds to reach his destination. It made him feel anxious. As he reached, if he remembered correctly it was called the 'scramble' or something, he noticed something strange. A strange app that he didn't remember downloading randomly opened on his phone. 

As he repeatedly tapped it in an attempt to make it go away, everyone around him to slow down to a sudden halt, as if time had frozen. If that was the case, then why was he still able to move? Was the stress causing him to hallucinate? 

As he glanced around, a sudden bright light caught his attention. Blue flames? It seemed to be taking some kind of shape... Were those wings? He couldn't tell... A sudden flash of yellow appeared in the flames. Was he crazy if he thought those looked like eyes? After the appearance of the eyes, he saw the flash of a human figure.

'Was that...me?' He thought as the image quickly disappeared from his sight. A sudden flood of noise startled him as he realised everyone around him was moving again. He glanced around again with a troubled expression as he tried to figure what exactly just happened. After focusing his attention back onto his phone, he was finally able to click the mysterious app and then drag it into the recycling bin. Ren decided that he probably wouldn't get an answer to the strange phenomenon he witnessed and continued on his way.

Yongen-Jaya... So this is where he'd be staying... Ren wasn't sure what to think. It seemed less vibrant than Shibuya, but it was much quieter and that made him a little more at ease. Now he just had to find the Sakura residence... Easier said than done... He had the address written down, sure, but that didn't mean he knew where it was... He scanned his eyes across the environment before landing on a police officer. His stomach churned at the sight, but he decided that his best bet was to ask him. Who would know the area better than a police officer, after all. He took a deep, shaky breath before approaching.

"Excuse me, Officer?" He cautiously asked, trying his best to hide his anxiety.

"Yes? Is there something you need, kid?" The officer responded with a stern expression. Ren's stomach flipped again at the sight.

"Um... Could you tell me where this address is, please?" He requested, showing his phone screen to the policeman. The officer read through the address carefully before replying.

"It should be in the residential area. Just walk down there and take a right." He instructed, pointing in the directions Ren need to go. Ren nodded as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

"Okay, thank you very much." He thanked as he began walking towards the residential area.

"There's been a lot of strange accidents lately, so be careful when you're out and about, okay?" The officer called out after him.

"Okay, thank you for the warning." Ren called back. That's right, he saw the news when on the subway... The mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns, right? It was pretty weird, all of these people suddenly going crazy for no reason…

"I hope I don't get caught up in one of those accidents..." Ren mumbled quietly to himself as he passed a small girl and her dog. He couldn't help but smile at the sweet sight.

"Sakura... Sakura... Ah! Sakura. Here it is." He muttered as he read the nameplates on the houses. He gently pressed the doorbell on the house in question. No response. He pressed again. No response. He pressed yet again. No response. Ren hummed worriedly. Was this 'Sojiro' guy in? Did he forget about him staying for the year? As Ren silently panicked to himself, a delivery man parked next to him.

"Let's see... Delivery for Sakura... He's usually at Leblanc now, so I'll save this package 'till last..." He murmured thoughtfully to himself. 'Leblanc'? That name sounded familiar. Didn't he see that near the station? With that new clue to Sojiro Sakura's location, Ren turned around and headed back towards the station.

Ren stared silently up at the sign above him. 'Leblanc Curry and Coffee'... A cafe, as far as he could tell. A pleasant smell seemed to be drifting out from inside. Ren quite liked it. Trying his best to ignore the anxious beating in his chest, he reached forward and opened the door. He was greeted by the sight of an elderly couple watching a tabloid show covering a recent car accident on the small TV, and a man resting on a stool, holding the newspaper.

"Down is... A shellfish used for farming pearls..." He mumbled to himself. Ah, he was doing the crossword, it seemed. Hesitantly, Ren took one step forward, his footfall creaking on the floor the man looked up. "Oh right, they did say that was today." As he placed his newspaper down onto the counter, the elderly couple stood up.

"We'll be going now. The payment's on the table." The old man informed him.

"Thanks for coming." The manager replied bluntly.

"This place is in the back alley, so there's no worries of a car crashing in here." The old man remarked light heartedly.

"A what now?" The manager asked quizzically, clearly confused by the comment.

"There's been a string of those rampage accidents, you know. I just hope that none happen around here." The male customer informed him.

"It's none of my concern." The manager quickly responded, no emotion in his voice.

"We'll see you next time." The elderly man chuckled,heading towards the door with his wife. After the door clicked shut behind them, the manager sighed.

"... Fours hours for just a single cup of joe." He groaned quietly to himself. After composing himself, he turned his attention to the teenager in front of him.

"So, you're Ren?" He asked sternly.

"Is Sakura-San here?" Ren anxiously enquired, hunching his shoulders unconsciously.

"...Yeah." The man replied bluntly. "I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody over the next year." He introduced himself. "I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the one, huh?"

"It's very nice to meet you, Sir." Ren greeted politely, bowing as he spoke. Sojiro just nodded in response.

"Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other and- Well, not like that matters... Follow me." He instructed him as he turned around and began walking upstairs. Ren followed close behind like a lost puppy.

"This is your room." Sojiro announced as he lead Ren into the attic of the Cafe. It was... an interesting room... The majority of the room was covered in junk. A set of shelves was overflowing with books to the point where there were dozens of books stacked in front of the shelf, multiple bags of trash littered the room. There were spare boxes stacked precariously next to a potted plant and a ladder. And there was dust and cobwebs... Everywhere. Ren couldn't help but grimace slightly at the sight.

"I'll at least give you sheets for your bed." Sojiro stated as he turned to look at the raven haired teen. "You look like you wanna say something." He continued, staring at Ren firmly.

"It's... big." Ren answered awkwardly, trying his best to find a positive about the dump of a room.

"It's on you to clean up the rest." Sojiro told him simply. It had been cleaned before? "I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble." He warned the young boy. Ren nodded sheepishly.

"Now then... I got the gist of your situation. You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured and then sued you, right? That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah? And now that you've got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The courts ordered you to serve your probation out here and your parents approved of the idea, too." Sojiro recounted the information he had been told. Great... That's exactly what Ren wanted to hear right now... Ren frowned and stared down at his feet.

"In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass." Sojiro summarised. A pang surged through Ren's chest at those words. Did he really have to twist the knife like that?

"It's best that you don't talk about anything unnecessary. I am in the restaurant business, you know. Behave yourself for the year. If nothing happens, they'll lift your probation." He warned him.

"A whole year..." Ren mumbled quietly, anxiously fiddling with the sleeve of his blazer.

"Cause any problems, and you'll be sent straight to juvie." Sojiro warned the teen yet again. He really knows how to put people at ease, doesn't he?

"We'll be going to Kosei tomorrow." The bearded man informed the boy. Ren lifted his head at those words. Sojiro took that as sign that he didn't know what he was talking about. "Kosei High - the school you'll be attending." He groaned. Ren already knew this. He wasn't entirely sure how but the prestigious school was willing to give him a scholarship, despite his criminal record. The confusion didn't mean that he wasn't grateful. though. He was extremely grateful. "We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There's rarely a place that'll accept someone like you, y'know." He continued. 'Someone like you'- there was something very bitter about those words. Ren hated it.

"Your 'luggage' arrived earlier; I left them over there for you." Sojiro informed, gesturing towards a single large cardboard box in the center of the room.

"Thank you." Ren answered politely as Sojiro made his way back downstairs. 

After the middle-aged man had disappeared from sight, Ren wandered over to the box and opened it up. It had clothes, food and other necessities inside. The boy decided that he might as well change into more comfortable clothes since he had finally arrived- it's not like he had been wearing his full uniform anyway. He just couldn’t for the life of him figure out how to wear his tie, so he had just shoved it into his pocket. 

He slipped out of his uniform and carefully folded it up, trying to keep it as neat and presentable as possible. Picking out a random shirt and pair of jeans from the box, he changed into them. They were comfy, they'd do for now. 

As he stood back up straight, he let out a long sigh. He figured that he might as well clean the room while he organised his things. After picking up a nearby mop as he analysed the room, trying to find a good place to start.

"Home sweet home..." He muttered half-heartedly as he set himself to work.

By the time he had finished making the room more presentable, it was already dark outside. Ren yawned as he leaned the mop back against the wall. As he rubbed his eyes, he heard footsteps from the stairs. He turned around to see Sojiro.

"What the heck? I heard you making all sorts of noise up here, but I didn't think that you were actually cleaning." He remarked, clearly surprised by the teenager's actions. Looking around the room, he began nodding approvingly. "Actually, the place doesn't look too bad. Though, I suppose it's only natural that you'd wanna keep your room tidy." He continued. Ren wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, but he decided to take it as one. "Why don't you go to bed for tonight? You haven't got anything better to be doing, right?" He suggested. Ren didn't really appreciate the way he worded it, but agreed anyway - after the day he had and all of the travelling he had to do, he was completely exhausted. Ren nodded sleepily.

"I'm gonna go close up shop now." Sojiro informed him. As he headed towards the stairs, he stopped and looked at Ren again. "I won't be the one looking after you if you get sick from staying up too late, you got that?" He grumbled and continued on his way down the stairs.

'How courteous of you...' Ren thought. Although, he understood Sojiro's gruff demeanor towards him. He's just a trouble-making delinquent in his eyes, it's only natural that he'd be untrusting. Another yawn caused Ren to forget about those thoughts as he reached for his box to pull out a pair of pyjamas and quickly got changed, just wanting to fall asleep already. After placing his previous outfit into the box, he climbed onto his bed. It wasn't very comfortable, but he had to make do. As he settled in, he thought back on everything that happened that caused him to be stuck in Tokyo for an entire year. Ren scowled bitterly as he reflected on the man who ruined his life. A sudden ringtone echoed out across the silent room, startling Ren. After realising the sound came from his room, he pulled it out of his pocket to check what it was. Ren's eyebrows creased together in confusion at sight.

'It's that weird phone app from earlier...' He thought as he stared at his phone screen.

"I thought I deleted it..." He murmured to himself, dragging it back into the recycling bin for the second time today. As he placed his phone next to his pillow and plugged the charger in, fatigue suddenly caught up to him, causing his eyelids to droop and eventually close, as he finally fell asleep.

Ren woke up with a start. He was in a place that he didn't recognise. The entire area was tinged with a deep blue. The steady drip of water echoes off the walls. Sitting up to get a better look at his surroundings, he noticed that his hands were chained together. He lowered his legs from the bed onto the floor and placed his head into his hands, trying desperately to figure out what was going on. 

As he racked his brain, he heard an unfamiliar chuckle. He whipped his head round to the source of the sound, only to find two small girls, both dressed in blue uniforms and an eyepatch on each of their faces. The two of them stood there, staring at Ren expressionlessly. 

As Ren attempted to walk towards them to get a closer look at them, his foot was pulled back by something. Gaze trailing back to notice that his foot was bound by a ball and chain. He dragged the weight along until he was able to grasp the iron bars that separated him and the strange girls. As he stared back at the girls, they suddenly stepped to the side and turned to look at the centre of the room. This directed Ren's attention to a man with a long nose sat in middle of all of the cells. 

When the man noticed Ren looking at him, he spoke.

"Trickster, welcome to my Velvet Room" he greeted, extending his hand towards the confused boy. In an attempt to break free, Ren began trying to shake the iron bars. Nothing happened.

"So, you've finally come to, Inmate." The girl with twin buns spoke up with an aggressive tone.

"The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream." The girl with a plait said in an emotionless voice.

"You're in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!" Twin bun girl barked.

"Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those bound by a 'contract' may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well. I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well." The long nosed man explained. Ren's head throbbed as he received the flood of information that he didn't understand.

"Let me out!" He pleaded, only to be ignored by the strange trio as if his own opinions and desires didn't matter at all in this place.

"Still, this is a surprise... The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such... You truly are a 'prisoner' of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you." Igor remarked in a cryptic manner.

"Are you kidding me?" Ren responded, growing irritated due to the lack of clear explanations about whatever this situation is.

"Haha, worry not. There is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be rehabilitated towards freedom. That is your only means to avoid ruin... Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortions of the world?" Igor asked expectantly.

"...Wait...what?" Ren replied with a puzzled expression. His brain was starting to hurt from all of his unanswered questions.

"You didn't decline, hm? Very well, that is enough. Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation." Igor responded. Well, that proved it. Ren's opinion really didn't mean a damn thing here. As he thought that, the girls turned around to look at him again, standing at attention.

"Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. The serve as wardens here." Igor explained with an eerie grin plastered on his face the entire time. It made Ren feel uneasy.

"Hmph, try and struggle all you like." Caroline scoffed.

"The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators... That is, if you remain obedient." Justine stated in a robotic tone.

"Now then, it seems the night is waning... It is almost time. Take you time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually..." Igor said cryptically, as if he wanted Ren to feel uneasy.

"Time's up. Now hurry up and go back to sleep." Caroline ordered Ren as he felt his consciousness fade away yet again.

Ren felt groggy as he woke up. He just couldn't make any sense of that dream... 'Ruin'?... Rehabilitation?... What the hell was any of that supposed to mean? He just shook his head and got up to change into his school uniform. 

He quite liked it, it looked smart and the blazer's shade of blue was nice to look at. He just hated the tie. How the hell was he supposed to tie it? As he struggled to make it look presentable, Sojiro entered the attic.

"Looks like you're up." He observed.

"Good morning." Ren grunted out as he continued to fight against his tie. Sojiro leaned over to see what the fuss was. After spotting Ren's poor attempt, he sighed softly and wandered over. He pushed Ren's hands out of the way and grabbed hold of the tie, undoing the mess that Ren had made.

"You're smart enough to earn a scholarship but you don't know how to make a tie?" He asked as he went through each action slowly, quietly instructing Ren on what to do. After a couple of minutes, Ren's tie looked perfect.

"Thank you." Ren expressed his appreciation as he folded his collar back down. Sojiro just nodded as he checked the time on his phone.

"Well then, let's go introduce ourselves properly to the school staff and discuss your transfer. The school you're attending is in Shibuya, but you'll have to take a train and then make your way through a residential area, so don't bother anyone while you commute. I'll drive you there, but just for today. Let's go." He explained as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

"Okay." Ren simply agreed as he grabbed his bag from the nearby table.

"Sheesh... Men aren't usually allowed in my passenger seat..." Sojiro grumbled as he walked the stairs and pulled out his car keys.

'Nice to know that I'm wanted...' Ren thought to himself as he followed his caretaker out of the cafe.

Ren's first thoughts on Kosei: It was much bigger and much fancier than he first thought it would be. He’d heard that it was a prestigious school, but he didn't realise it was this prestigious. Sojiro noticed Ren staring at the building in awe.

"Do me a favour and behave yourself, alright?" He snapped. Ren flinched and nodded sheepishly. "Don't get me wrong - I don't care what happens to you. Just don't cause me any trouble." He added.

'Just like everyone else, then...' Ren thought sadly as he nodded once again and cautiously followed Sojiro into the building.

The principal was a tall, skinny man who looked as if he was a living skeleton. His cheeks were hollow, his eyes were sunken, and his suit was extremely baggy on him. No emotion other than disgust was evident on his stiff face, gaze ice cold as it pierced through Ren. The teen couldn't help but take a nervous gulp as Sojiro signed the transfer papers.

"To reiterate, just to be completely clear, you will be expelled immediately if you cause any problems at all. Honestly, I hesitated on accepting someone like you, but our school's policy is to accept any students with talent. You're lucky to blessed with your skills. You might have done a variety of things in secret in your hometown, but you will behave yourself here. If you are expelled from this establishment, you will nowhere else to go. Remember that." He lectured in a strict voice, expressing no emotion on his face at all. It was very unnerving.

"I understand. Thank you, Sir." Ren answered, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"This is the teacher in charge of your class." The principal continued, gesturing towards the man stood next to him. This man had short, straight chestnut brown hair with his bangs swept to the side. He had pale green eyes covered by small black reading glasses. Despite also wearing a suit, with a waistcoat rather than a blazer, this man was dressed much more casually than the principal and he had rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt and wore sneakers.

"I'm Takeshi Matsunaga. I'll be your homeroom and Literature teacher." He formally introduced himself with a smile. Ren felt a little more at ease. "I understand that you're here on a music scholarship. I hope you don't mind, but I listened to some of your previous projects and I was very impressed! You definitely have a gift. If you focus on developing on your talent for the entire year, you should be able to stay out of trouble. It's for the best you do that, understand?" He continued, with a more serious tone. Ren felt on edge again realising that this teacher still didn't trust him.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir." Ren responded bluntly, avoiding eye contact.

"Good to hear. Anyway, here's your student ID. Make you that you read the school rules. Violate any of them and you'll be sent straight to guidance office. If you cause any problems, I won't be able to help you in any way, just so you know. Those are your conditions, right Principal Yanagimachi?" Matsunaga continued, handing over Ren's ID.

"He is responsible for all of his own actions." The Principal stated with a firm nod of his head.

"If you're done explaining things, mind if we get going? I've got a store to get back to." Sojiro asked, clearly fed up with the whole ordeal.

"Sakura-san, please keep a close eye on him." Yanagimachi instructed Sojiro with a scowl.

"Well, I'll be sure to have a serious talk with him. Make sure he completely understands his situation." Sojiro answered, completely unfazed.

"Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow, I'll show you to your classroom, okay?" Matsunaga told Ren. The raven haired boy nodded silently as Sojiro lead him out of the Principal's office. As they walked down the hall, Sojiro turned to Ren.

"They're treating you like you're some sort of nuisance... I guess that's what it means to have criminal record. Turns out your past follows you wherever you go." He huffed in annoyance. "By the way... If you get expelled, I won't hesitate to kick you out. Got it?" He continued. It's not like he had to remind him. Ren had already lost count of the number of times he had told him that, and he'd only known him for two days.

"I'll be careful." Ren promised as he pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"Hmph..." Sojiro scoffed. "Come on, we're going home." He muttered. 'Home'... Thanks to his current situation, that word had a bitter taste for Ren. He didn't have a home right now. Not really.

"Traffic's not moving at all..." Sojiro growled in frustration as he tapped his finger on the steering wheel repeatedly. The roads were completely gridlocked. Ren had never seen so many cars at once. There was rarely any traffic at all in his hometown.

"You're taking the train, starting tomorrow." Sojiro snapped. That was fair enough. Ren would much prefer taking a train to dealing with traffic like this.

"So, how was it? The school, I mean? Think you can manage?" Sojiro asked in attempt to pass the time.

"It seems... very professional." Ren stated, unsure of what to say.

"Well, obviously, it's considered a prestigious school for a reason..." Sojiro sighed in response. Ren blushed slightly.

'Great... Now he probably thinks I'm stupid...' he thought, kicking himself internally.

"Still, you were expelled once already. To think you'd re-enroll at a different one. It's not like anyone will be sympathetic with you." Sojiro muttered, glancing over at the boy in the passenger seat.

"I know, but I've gotta try at least..." Ren mumbled under his breath. Sojiro still heard him. His eyes widened in surprise and he hummed in thought at the boy's unexpected response.

"What a troublesome kid I've taken in..." He grumbled in an attempt to shake off the previous comment.

"Why did you take me in?" Ren questioned him. He genuinely couldn't understand why Sojiro helped him out. It was clear that he didn't like him…

"I was asked to do it, and I just... happened to do it. I've already been paid for it too, after all." He answered. Of course. Money.. 

Ren turned his attention to the window.

"-subway has derailed at Shibuya Station, greatly affecting timetables all across-" Ren heard as he actually began to pay attention to the radio.

"Another accident?" Sojiro commented in surprise. "So, that's why it's so crowded. There's been a lot of these sorts of things lately." Ren didn't respond. He just continued staring silently out of the window, hoping that school would go easy on him.

By the time they got back to the cafe, it was already late in the evening, and Ren was exhausted.

"Damn, to think there'd be so much traffic... What a waste of time... I wasn't able to open the cafe today..." Sojiro groaned as he rubbed his back. Ren silently nodded at him as he lifted his glasses to rub his eyes.

"Well... Whatever. Just head upstairs. I've got something I need to give you." He instructed. Ren felt a sudden rush of panic. He knew it was probably nothing, but after everything that happened, he couldn't help but worry.

"Okay..." He murmured as he slowly climbed the stairs. When he turned around, Sojiro was staring at his phone.

"Talk about a gruesome accident... Eighty people were involved." He remarked as he slid his phone back into his pocket. Ren grimaced at that news. That many people? Just how big was the crash? As he hoped that the people involved would make quick recoveries, Sojiro pulled a small book out of his pocket and threw it onto the table in front of Ren.

"It's a diary. Make sure you write in it." He ordered the teen. Ren raised an eyebrow. Sojiro noticed Ren's look of confusion and proceeded to explain. "You may be under probation, but there's not really any special restrictions on what you can do in particular. Besides, following the law, that is. However, I'm obligated to report on you, so I want you to write down your daily activities." Ren nodded thoughtfully as he understood Sojiro's reasoning. He opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Sojiro's phone ringing. The bearded man placed the phone next to his ear.

"Hey, what's up? ... I'm about to leave right now. Don't worry, I'll be there in no time... Sure, I'll see you in a bit." He chatted briefly before quickly hanging up and turning to Ren. The teen had no idea what the conversation was about, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

"Well, I'm off. Just do whatever for the rest of the night. Oh, but don't even think about messing up my store. If I find anything missing, I'll hand you over to the cops myself. Just make sure you're ready for school tomorrow, all right?" He instructed the boy before walking down the stairs. Ren glanced around the room and pondered about what to do as he heard the bell ring from downstairs.

"I'm just gonna sleep." He decided as he began searching for some pyjamas. He slowly and carefully changed his clothes with sluggish movements. Today just seemed to drag on and on... It was horrible. Hopefully, school would be easier than he thought it would. 

After carefully placing his school uniform into the box, Ren made his way over to his bed. Just as he was about to crawl in and snuggle up under the duvet, a loud ringing pierced his ears. 

He checked his phone quizzically. Nope. 

The sound seemed to be coming from downstairs. Ren peeked his head around the bannister and noticed a yellow payphone on the counter.

'That must be where the ringing’s coming from.' Ren deduced as he carefully scampered down the stairs and cautiously picked up the phone.

"Hello?" He quietly greeted, unsure of who could be calling this late.

"Yo, it's me." A familiar gruff voice answered.

"Sakura-san?" Ren asked, wanting to make sure that he knew who he was talking to.

"Yeah. Listen, I closed the shop, but I forgot to flip the sign to 'closed'. It'd be quicker for you to sort it out than for me to head back over. So, could you flip the sign for me?" He explained in a bored voice.

"Sure thing." Ren replied.

"Great, thanks for the help." Sojiro responded before hanging up. Ren stared at the phone before glancing over at the door. He carefully placed the phone back down and walked over the door. Opening the door slightly and leaning out, he flipped the sign quickly and slid back inside. As he turned around and walked back upstairs, a long yawn escaped his mouth before he just flopped onto his bed. Getting himself comfortable, he grabbed his phone and opened up the map app so he could quickly check his route to school. Get the train from Yongen-Jaya to Shibuya, then walk through the Central Street and past the Residential area. Should be easy enough.

"I hope the timetable isn't affected too badly..." He mumbled to himself before being distracted by his phone again. The weird eye icon app was back again.

"How many times do I have to erase this damn thing?" Ren grumbled as he slid it into the recycling bin yet again.

"Maybe I should reboot... my phone... just in case..." He whispered as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Ren was woken up by the loud, slightly annoying alarm from his phone. He groaned sleepily, picking up his phone to silence the ringing. He yawned as he sat up and stretched. He sat quietly for a few minutes, just to make sure that he was definitely awake before standing up. As he began getting dressed and preparing himself for his first day at Kosei, he realised something.

"I didn't have that weird dream last night..." He muttered thoughtfully to himself. Was it just a one time thing? Did he just have a strange dream because he was stressed? As Ren considered the possibilities, he decided to forget about it as he needed to focus on his tie. Sojiro had showed him all of the steps yesterday, it should easy. Hopefully. 

Ren pouted determinedly, even as he kept getting his hands stuck. After a few failed attempts, he managed to get it tied... Sort of. It was kind of messy and bit lopsided, but it was tied at least. Ren frowned worriedly but decided to just leave it be as he grabbed his school bag and made his way downstairs. He was greeted by a delicious smell. It made his mouth water. When he looked to find the source of the smell, he saw Sojiro and a plate of curry.

"Morning. You need some breakfast, right? Here." Sojiro greeted him, pushing the plate forward and prompting Ren to take a seat. Ren was surprised by this gesture but happily picked up the nearby spoon.

"Thank you for the meal." Ren said as he brought the spoonful of curry up to his mouth. It was delicious! Ren's eyes widened as the taste exploded throughout his mouth. He didn't really know how to describe it, but the taste was comforting and homely. He loved it. 

Ren began joyfully shovelling the rest of the meal into his mouth, savouring every mouthful. When he had cleaned up the entire plate, Sojiro placed him a glass of water, which he gladly downed in one gulp.

"Hey." Sojiro called out, getting Ren's attention.

"Hm?" Ren hummed while wiping his mouth. Sojiro just gestured for him to lean forward. Ren complied.

"Not bad for a first attempt, but it still looks pretty sloppy." Sojiro commented as he adjusted Ren's tie to make it look more presentable. "There. That should do it."

"Thank you. And thank you for the curry, it was delicious." Ren thanked him as he picked his school bag back up off the floor.

"Yeah, thanks. Could you flip the sign outside to open for me on your way out?" Sojiro responded blandly.

"Sure thing." Ren agreed as he stepped outside of the cafe, flipping the sign like he was asked to. 

As he began walking towards the train station, he pulled out his phone to check the timetable. It didn't seem like Yongen-Jaya's timetable had been changed that much, so the train should be arriving soon. Upon entering his required platform, Ren froze when he saw the sheer amount of people.

'So, this is the Tokyo rush hour...' He thought worriedly as the train pulled into the platform, and he prepared for the flood into the train.

Ren's first thoughts on the rush hour: Horrible. 

He now understood how sardines in a can felt. He was crushed up against the door for the entire journey, barely able to even breathe. Plus, there was someone stood nearby who kept elbowing him in the gut. The first thing he did when got off the train was take a deep breath. 

After inhaling some much needed oxygen, Ren pulled out his phone again to check the map. He’d already marked out where Kosei High was, he just had to figure out his route there. He glanced around at his surroundings and began walking off in the direction he needed to go.

"Okay, past the Buchiko statue and then up Central Street..." Ren mumbled the instructions to himself as he walked around Shibuya, searching for the markers he needed. 

Finally, around the corner: The Buchiko statue. Ren made his way towards it. He loved the story about that dog, even though it made him cry everytime he read it. He couldn't help but hope that the dog knew that it was a very good boy. Because it was. He smiled at the statue as he made his way past it towards Central Street.

"Go to the path to the left of the cinema and continue walking to reach the residential area..." Ren read quietly to himself, staring intently at his phone screen. The country boy couldn't help but be amazed by the sheer amount of shops on this single street; at least he wouldn't be bored while in Tokyo. There was so many things to do, it was incredible. 

Ren slipped through the crowds of people heading to school and work as he noticed the large cinema at the end of the street. Okay, he needed to turn left here. Ren glanced at his phone again for the next instructions as he began walking towards the residential area. As he carried on down the path, the amount of shops decreased and the amount of houses increased.

"Guess this means I'm going the right way..." Ren whispered as he checked the directions again. This seemed to be where it got confusing. The directions from the map app used the street names but Ren had no idea which street was which. He sighed nervously as he analysed his surroundings again. As he looked around, he spotted some people wearing the Kosei uniform.

'Perfect! I can just follow them!' He thought in relief. He was about to place his phone back into his pocket when he noticed a familiar sight. That damn app was back. Again. Ren frowned in annoyance as he began furiously tapping his phone, trying to figure out how to get rid of the app for good. 

As he was walking and tapping his phone, he thought he heard a quiet gasp but chose to ignore it. He was more preoccupied by trying to fix his phone. Nothing seemed to be working though. Ren huffed as the app decided to open itself rather than be deleted.

"Excuse me!" Ren flinched as he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard an unfamiliar voice call out to him. He flung himself around, only to find a boy stood behind him. A tall, slender boy with silky dark blue hair swept to the side and deep blue eyes with a glint of passion in them. But, Ren definitely didn't know him. What did the other boy want with him?

"I'm terribly sorry for sudden interruption, but you are beautiful." The boy spoke up. Ren didn't know how to react to that. He could feel his face turning red at the random compliment but he didn't know what to say. Thinking about it, he'd never actually been called beautiful before... His first proper day in Tokyo and strangers were already hitting on him? Maybe all of those crazy stories he'd heard about Tokyo were true... 

After Ren's lack of response, the blue haired boy continued. "I saw you as you passed my house, and I was completely overwhelmed by emotion the moment I laid eyes on you! Would you please be-"

'Oh god... Here it comes. How the hell do you turn down someone?! I've never had experience with love and stuff! What I do do?!" Ren panicked inwardly as the boy grew incredibly zealous.

"-the model for my next art piece?!" He requested, keeping his hand on Ren's shoulder the entire time.

'...What?' Ren thought. He was glad that he didn't have to reject someone, but now he just had even more questions.

"...I'm... sorry?" Ren asked awkwardly, glancing quickly at the hand gripped firmly on his shoulder.

"Oh! My apologies, where are my manners?" The boy apologised as he pulled hand away from Ren. "My name is Yusuke Kitagawa. I'm a second year at Kosei High, I have an art scholarship." He introduced himself with a polite bow.

'He's in the same year as me? And on a scholarship? Wow, what are the odds?' Ren mused to himself. He could tell that this Yusuke guy was a bit... eccentric, but he could also that he didn't mean any harm.

"U-Um, I'm sorry, but I'm kinda new around here, and I just wanna get to school..." Ren replied nervously.

"Oh, I see. Are you lost by any chance?" Yusuke asked him, tucking his hair behind his ear. Ren turned around, only to find that the Kosei students he was following were gone.

"Uh... M-Maybe?" He answered with an awkward smile.

"Very well, allow me to show you the way." Yusuke offered with a sweet smile. Ren walked alongside him, but kept his phone out, just in case he needed his map again. He had completely forgotten about the weird eyeball app that was open.

"So, you're an artist?" Ren spoke up in an attempt to make small talk.

"Yes, I'm an apprentice of the master artist, Ichiryusai Madarame." Yusuke informed him proudly.

"Madarame? That name sounds familiar..." Ren remarked as he tried to remember where he had heard it before.

"Well, you've probably heard of him before, his pieces are displayed in museums all across the nation, at all." Yusuke explained matter-of-factly.

"Oh, of course. My parents are big fans of his work. That's very impressive, you must live in a really nice house." Ren commented in surprise. Not everyday that you meet the apprentice of a celebrity, after all.

"Not at all. My sensei is very humble, we actually live in a shack back down the street." Yusuke countered, pointing behind them. Now that he thought about it, Ren remembered seeing a run-down house while wandering through the area. It was pretty shocking to hear that people actually lived in it.

"Wow, that's unexpected." Ren commented, slipping his phone into his pocket. What he didn't know was that his phone had been listening to his entire conversation. The environment around began to subtly morph, not enough to immediately alert the two boys. It wasn't until Ren stepped through a puddle, the droplets of water seemed to defy gravity for a few seconds, catching Ren's attention. He turned around to investigate before being distracted by an overwhelming tint of gold.

"What the hell..?" He muttered as he focused on his surroundings. The grey skies were suddenly a midnight blue and the rain had completely disappeared. The gold came from a large, gaudy building around the corner from where they came. Ren voice prompted Yusuke to see what he was talking about.

"What on earth?" He mumbled, confusion laced into his voice and face.

"I-I'm not going crazy, right? That wasn't there before... right?" Ren demanded, completely baffled by the sight.  
"No, that's never been there..." Yusuke confirmed, extremely perturbed and clutching onto his school bag. Ren began walking towards the building. The only way to understand it was to get a closer look at it. Yusuke had no idea what to do until his curiosity got the better of him and he followed after Ren. When the reached the gate of the building, they could see that it was several stories high and seemed to be made completely out of gold. There was also an extremely long queue of people waiting outside. What were they waiting for? The boys decided to discreetly slip past the queue and into the nearby garden.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing over there?!" A loud, guttural voice shouted as they tried to peek over the wall. The duo flinched at the sound and turned sheepishly to face them. They saw a security guard wearing a strange mask rushing towards them.

"I-I'm terribly sorry, we were just-" Yusuke's explanation of their actions was cut off by the guard punching him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Yusuke grunted and looked up with woozy eyes.

"H-Hey!" Ren yelled out anxiously as he tried to get the guard away from Yusuke, only to be pulled back and punched by another guard behind him. As his head hit the ground, he tried to reach out to the other boy before passing out.

"-ey... Hey... Hey! Come on, wake up!" The voice echoed throughout Ren's head as his eyes fluttered open. The first thing he saw with a blue and white blur as his eyes tried to focus on the image. "Can you hear me? Are you okay?" They spoke again.

"Y-Yeah..." Ren croaked back as he sat up, clutching the side of his head.

"Thank goodness..." The voice, which Ren now recognised as Yusuke, sighed in relief. Ren squinted at him.

"W-Where's my glasses?" He enquired worriedly as he rubbed his eyes. Yusuke gently grabbed his wrist and placed the glasses into his hand.

"I found them on the ground, by the door." He explained quietly as Ren slid his glasses back onto his face. His vision finally cleared. He could see that they were trapped in a small, unfamiliar room.

"Are you alright? Where are we? What's going on?" Ren asked, disorientated by this strange turn of events.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you. As for your other two questions, I'm afraid I have no idea..." The artist admitted as he investigated the room. As Ren was about to speak again, the sound of loud footsteps began approaching the door. Ren and Yusuke stared nervously at the door as they heard keys jingling and the lock click. The door was aggressively swung open as a group of three guards came flooding in. They began speaking before the teenagers even had a chance to.

"You two were caught trespassing in the museum of the master artist Madarame. This is an unforgivable crime." The largest one bellowed while looking down on the boys.

"Sensei?" Yusuke gasped at the name they mentioned, however the guards just ignored him.

"Thus, Lord Madarame has decided that your punishment shall be death." The leader declared grimly.

"What?!" Ren exclaimed, his heart began beating wildly as the leader grabbed Yusuke by the neck and slammed him into the wall. Yusuke wailed in pain and winced. When he opened his eyes, the guard was holding a large blade to his neck.

"Time to die." It said with a sickening grin. It seemed to take amusement from the terror on Yusuke's face. His eyes were wide open, his hair disheveled, sweat glistened off his face and his breathing was rapid and shallow.

"Leave him alone!" Ren shrieked as he rushed towards them in an attempt to save Yusuke. However, his rescue attempt failed as the other two guards sprung into action. One of them sucker punched Ren right in the gut, making him cough and double-over, as the other grabbed him by the shoulder and pinned him to the wall. The first guard joined him and pinned Ren's other shoulder to the wall, rendering it impossible for him to escape. Ren couldn't do anything, he was just forced to watch as the guard brought the blade closer and closer to Yusuke's throat.

"I-I don't want to die..." Yusuke whimpered out in pure fear as the guard cackled at the sight. Ren grew more and more desperate. He needed to save Yusuke! But what the hell could he do? He was practically useless in this situation... As he began to lose hope, a voice rang out in his head.

"What's the matter...? Are you simply going to watch? Are you forsaking him to save yourself? Death awaits him if you do nothing. Was your previous decision a mistake then?" As the voice continued, Ren's rage grew stronger and stronger.

"It wasn't." He snarled in response as he began struggled harder against the guards' grip.

"Very well... I have heeded your resolve." The voice confirmed. As those words echoed, Ren's head was enveloped by a sudden surge of extreme pain. It was excruciating. Ren screamed and grunted as the pain continued to throb throughout his head. The voice seemed completely unfazed as it continued with its speech.  
"Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I... Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to hell itself!" It declared victoriously as Ren felt his resolve set itself in stone.

"That's enough." He growled in a low, threatening voice, starling the guard holding a knife to Yusuke's neck.

"What did you say...?" It snarled as it pulled the knife away and dropped Yusuke to the floor. The blue haired boy gasped and spluttered for air as he massaged his neck. Ren glared at the guard with a flaming hatred.

"Do you wanna die first?" It sneered at the teen, waving the knife in front of his face. As Ren glared at it, a sudden surge of power pulsed through his body, confusing the guards holding him and causing them to release him. 

When Ren lifted his head, he felt the sudden weight of a mask on his face. He tried to pull it off, but it wouldn't budge at all. He began pulling harder, fighting against the mask, trying his hardest to free himself. Freedom... Of course, that's it. 

Ren gritted his teeth as he yanked the mask as hard as he could, screaming his lungs out as he felt the mask rip through his skin. As the weight was torn from his face,, he could feel blood pouring down in its absence. But, he didn't care. He just grinned as he felt the power swell through his body. Blue flames engulfed his entire body, but it didn't burn at all. It made him feel safe. It made him feel free. 

He grinned deviously as his clothes morphed and chains rattled around him. He was there - his other self. The being laughed maniacally at the boy's rebellion.

"I am the pillager of twilight... Arsene!" It declared triumphantly, finally having the opportunity to run wild. "I am the rebel's soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis."

"Give me your power." Ren ordered him confidently with a smirk.

"Hmph, Very well... Detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity into power... And unleash it! Swing your blade! This power of mine is yours! Kill them however you want! Run wild to your heart's content!" Arsene commanded the boy, turning his attention to the guards closing in on him. Ren grinned wildly as he sliced his dagger through the guard's head, reducing it to dust.

"Ravage them!" He screamed as Arsene kicked the second guard out of existence and destroyed the final one with a curse. 

Ren gasped for air after exerting so much energy. As he leaned on his knees to catch his breath, his thief outfit suddenly disappeared, replaced by his school uniform.

"What on earth...?" Yusuke asked, clearly shaken up by what he'd just witnessed. That didn't matter right now, Ren could hear more guards coming.

"Get the keys!" He yelled, desperate to take this chance to escape. Yusuke just nodded and grabbed the keys as he scrambled to his feet. They slammed the door open and began charging down the hallway.

This place was like a maze. Ren had no idea where he was going, but he knew that he had to get out. It seemed like they had reached a dead end.

"Shit..." Ren cursed at the sight. He could hear guards closing in on them.

"How the hell do we get out?" Yusuke panicked, growing desperate.

"Psst, hey! Frizzy hair! Blueberry! Over here!" A childish voice called out.

"Frizzy hair?"

"Blueberry...?"

The two boys turned around to see a cat-like creature reaching out to them from a similar room to the one they were trapped in.

"You're trying to escape, right? I know how to get past here! If you let me out of here, I'll help you escape, okay?!" It bargained with them.

"A cat?" Ren asked, staring intently at the creature.

"Don't call me a cat! My name is Morgana!" It insisted indignantly.

"O-Okay, Morgana, are you being serious about getting us out of here?" Ren enquired quickly, frequently glancing behind him to check for guards.

"Of course! A phantom thief keeps his word!" Morgana replied pridefully, puffing out his chest.  
"What do you think?" Ren turned, asking for Yusuke's opinion.

"I believe he may be our best shot." Yusuke whispered in response. Ren nodded in agreement, then pulled out the keys and unlocked the door. Morgana happily trotted out of the room and stretched.

"Aaaaah.... Sweet freedom..." He sighed in relief.

"Now, you hold up your end of the bargain." Yusuke reminded him.

"Obviously. Check it out, this isn't a wall, it's just a painting, you can smash through easily." Morgana explained as he flung himself towards the wall. A loud rip sounded out as the wall was revealed to just be paper. The boys stared in awe before hurrying after Morgana. As they continued rushing through the building, they were ambushed by more guards. However, these ones transformed into strange creatures.

"Dammit, more of them?!" Ren complained as his thief outfit reappeared.

"Hmph, what amateurs! You! You can fight, right? Let me show you how a professional does it!" Morgana bragged as he leapt down in front of the monsters. "Come... Zorro!" He yelled as his other self emerged.

"You have one of those too?!" Yusuke exclaimed. It was clear that the entire situation was starting to wear him down.

"Hmph, we will promptly shut them up!" Morgana announced with a cocky smirk on his face. Ren just chuckled as he summoned Arsene again. Ren charged towards one of the monsters and sliced it open.

"Not bad... But, can you do this?" Morgana boasted as Zorro threw a blast of wind at the other monster, obliterating it. The boy and the cat grinned at each other as Ren's thief outfit disappeared yet again.

"Not bad yourself, Morgana." Ren complimented the cat's combat skills.

"Naturally! Now, let's get you two outta here, follow me!" He instructed them as he ran off again, towards the large door in front of them. The teens hurried close behind the cat and flung the door open. It lead outside.

"Oh, thank god!" Ren let out a relieved gasp.

"Just keep running out there and you'll get back to the real world." Morgana informed them, pointing at the large gate in front of them.

"What a relief... We're safe… I’m in your debt." Yusuke sighed tiredly as he slowly jogged away. Ren held back. He bent down and softly petted Morgana's head.

"Thank you for your help, Morgana." He cooed with a grateful smile before running off behind Yusuke. Morgana watched as the boys disappeared from his view before quietly mumbling to himself,

"Those two seem like they could be useful..."

"You have returned to real world. Welcome back."

As the boys ran through the gate, the midnight blue sky lightened to the light grey that it before all of the insanity and they felt the rain pouring down onto them. The two of them quickly turned around to check if the building was still there. It wasn't. There was instead a shack where it stood.

"It's... my home?" Yusuke observed, severely bewildered by everything that had happened.

"How long were we in there?" Ren asked as he pulled out his phone to check the time. 12:30PM. "Oh shit..." He muttered. Why did this have to happen? Wait, didn't that voice come from his phone? And didn't it say something like returning to the real world?

"By the way, you never had a chance to tell me your name." Yusuke remembered as he calmed down.

"Huh? Oh right... Sorry, I forgot..." Ren apologised sheepishly, as he placed his phone back in his pocket.

"It's quite alright, I think it's very understandable after going through that..." Yusuke reassured him with a gentle smile. Ren couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah, I guess you're right... Thanks. My name's- Ggh?!" Ren was cut off by a sudden rush of pain through his head. His vision went blurry and he felt light-headed. He grasped his head as he fell to the ground.

"H-Hey! Are you okay?! What's wrong?!" Ren could hear Yusuke calling out to him, but his voice gradually grew quieter as Ren's consciousness faded away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I know that I promised that I would upload this within a week, but it took me longer than expected to find a beta checker.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, and again, I'm sorry.

Ren groaned as his eyes fluttered open, registering the dull throbbing pain in the back of his head. Noting the blurriness of his surroundings, Ren began feeling around for his glasses. As he searched, his glasses were placed on his face. Ren waited for his eyes to focus before sitting up, figuring that his glasses had been given to him by Sojiro, judging by his guardian’s presence before him. Ren was about to thank him but noticed that he was, for some reason, back in Leblanc's attic... And there was a lady with short blue hair, wearing a black dress with black high heels and a lab coat.

"What am I doing here?" Ren asked Sojiro, while glancing cautiously at the strange lady.

"You passed out on your way to school, so the kid that found you called the school and they brought you back here." Sojiro explained, handing a cup of coffee to the disorientated boy. "Don't worry, the school completely understands, so your first official day will be tomorrow instead. Your teacher said to meet him in the faculty office." He continued, reassuring Ren who was clearly a bit shaken up. After noticing the boy glancing at the woman stood behind him, Sojiro explained yet again.

"This is the doctor I called over here to give you a check up." He informed him, gesturing at the lady. Ren nodded understandingly, taking a sip from the coffee mug.

"I'm Tae Takemi, I run the local clinic. There's nothing to worry about, you just passed out due to high levels of stress. If you rest up for the rest of the day, you should be fine." She introduced herself, stepping forward and extending her hand.

"Thank you for all of your help, Doctor." Ren thanked her sincerely, shaking her hand.

"Are there any other problems you're having?" She enquired seriously.

"U-Um, I've got this dull throbbing pain right here..." He answered, placing his hand over the back of his head. Takemi nodded knowingly.

"Yes, I checked there. You hit your head on the pavement when you collapsed. There's no major damage, just a bruise, but it'll probably hurt for a few days. I'd recommend these if the pain gets a bit much." Takemi explained, pulling out a small box of painkillers and handing them to Ren.

"Just take one with a drink of water when the pain's bad. Fair warning though, they have a tendency to make you drowsy, so I wouldn't suggest taking them at school." She explained with a slight grin.

"Okay, thank you, Doctor." Ren thanked her once again, placing the box onto the nearby shelf.

"So, how much do I need to pay you, Doctor?" Sojiro asked as Takemi picked up her bag.

"Hmm... I think a cup of your house blend would make a perfect payment." Takemi replied light-heartedly.

"Heh, comin' right up." Sojiro chuckled as he followed Takemi back downstairs to the cafe before freezing in place, casting a glance back at Ren.

"Oh, by the way, you better thank that Kitagawa kid. If he wasn't around when you passed out, you might be in a hell of a lot worse state." He informed Ren before carrying on walking.

'Kitagawa...? Oh right... That guy... Is he okay?' Ren thought to himself as he carried on drinking his coffee. What the hell was all of that? The golden museum? Those weird monsters? Arsene? Morgana? None of it really made any sense, and thinking about it just made Ren's head hurt even more. Ren frowned silently as he stared down at his cup. His stomach churned slightly as he began to worry about Yusuke's wellbeing. 

Did he get to school? Was he questioned about what happened? Did he get injured? The raven haired boy began anxiously tapping his finger on his cup; Ren sighed as he wondered what to do. By the colour of the sky, it was clearly the early evening already, his stomach grumbled as he pondered his options.

'Oh right, I haven't eaten anything since this morning...' Ren realised, his stomach letting out another loud growl. As he considered his options, Sojiro came back upstairs with a plate full of sandwiches.

"You're probably hungry, right? Here." He said bluntly as he placed the plate onto Ren's lap.

"O-Oh, thank you." Ren awkward replied as he picked up a sandwich and took a large bite. Sojiro just rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and returned to his cafe downstairs. The light-headed boy continued to eat the sandwiches as he tried to make sense of his earlier experiences. He chewed slowly as the cogs in his brain turned. By the time he had finished the large meal, he realised something.

"I never got to tell him my name..." Ren muttered absent mindedly, placing the empty plate and cup onto the nearby shelf. Maybe he'd see him again at school? But, then again, they might not be in the same class, so that may not be very likely... 

He rubbed the back of his head gently as he picked up his phone. 09:30PM.

'Might as well go to sleep now...' Ren thought to himself, stifling a yawn. While he didn't really understand what had happened to him that morning, he sure as hell knew that it had completely drained his energy. Plugging his charger into his phone, he placed his phone back down onto the shelf before burrowing himself under his duvet, shifting into a more comfortable position, letting his eyes fall shut as he drifted off to sleep.

An overwhelming amount of blue filled Ren's sight as he opened his eyes. It looked familiar, but he couldn't quite figure out where from.

"About time you've come to." A haughty voice spoke up. Ah. He remembered now. That weird dream with the long nosed man and small twins. He sat up and looked to the side. Sure enough, they were all present.

"On your feet, Inmate!" The more aggressive twin commanded. Ren obeyed with no objections.

"Our master wishes to speak with you. It's for your own sake that you take his words to heart." The more reserved twin informed him. He remembered their names, but had forgotten which one was which. But, if this was going to keep happening, he'd probably figure it out eventually. Ren turned his attention to the man with the long nose sat in the center of the room. He really didn't like his smile. It was unnerving.

"First off, let us celebrate our reunion." He announced. Why celebrate? He seemed to know a lot about Ren, did he know that he nearly died earlier? Ren just took a nervous gulp.

"Oh...? You've awakened to your powers. And special ones at that. Your rehabilitation can finally begin." Igor remarked, his smirk plastered on his face all the while.

"My powers?" Ren repeated. Was he talking about Arsene? That mask that suddenly appeared?

"There is no need to understand it all for the time being." Igor stated.

'But what if I want to understand it right now?' Ren thought to himself bitterly, twisting his wrist uncomfortably, trying to ignore the sound of chains rattling.

"You will be training the power of Persona, which you have awakened to. Personas are, in other words, a 'mask' - an armour of the heart when confronting worldly matters. I have high expectations of you." Igor explained cryptically, never looking away from Ren.

'Persona?' But Ren could worry about that later.

"What do you mean, 'high expectations'?" Ren enquired, feeling uneasy about the whole situation.

"There is no need to worry. You will learn when the time comes." Igor responded. Ren couldn't help but feel like he was dodging the question.

"By the by... Have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator?" Igor asked, changing the subject. Ren's confused face must have answered the question for him, as Igor continued.

"Using it will allow you to come and go between reality and palaces. I bestowed it upon you as a means to train you as a thief." Palaces? Thief? What the hell was he talking about? Before Ren could respond, Caroline turned to face him.

"The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from our master! You better take care in using it, inmate!" She barked at him.

"Devote yourself to your training so that you may become a fine thief." Justine added.

"It must be disheartening to make use of the Metaverse Navigator alone. Should there be others who would prove beneficial to you, I will grant it to them as well. This is all for you to grow as a most excellent thief..." Igor exclaimed mystically. 

None of what he was saying really made any sense to Ren, but he knew that any questions he asked would just be ignored. He just stared at the floor silently when a bell began to ring out.

"Hmph, it's time. Go back and enjoy whatever rest you might have..." Caroline huffed as Ren's vision began to fade once again.

" -ey... Hey, kid. Time to get up. Wake up already." The gruff voice instructed him, pulling him out of his slumber. Ren grunted as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head. It didn't hurt as much as it did yesterday, but there was still an unpleasant, dull ache. When he placed his glasses on his face, he found Sojiro stood in front of him, his arms crossed.

"Finally... Hurry up and get dressed, there's some breakfast for you downstairs." He spoke again as he turned around and walked downstairs. Ren yawned and stretched, before standing up and grabbing his uniform. That seemed to be the best night's sleep he'd had in a long time. 

His head throbbed slightly when he stood up, but he knew that it wasn't anything too serious, so he chose to ignore it as best he could and carried on with his new routine. 

Pull up his trousers, button up his shirt, make sure his blazer looks presentable, slip on his shoes, fight against his damn tie, grab his bag and head downstairs into the cafe. Like Sojiro said, there was a plate of curry and cup of coffee waiting for him on the counter.

"Thank you for the meal." Ren said as he placed his bag onto the floor and took a seat before digging in.

"How's your head?" Sojiro asked while washing up some cups.

"Could be worse." Ren responded vaguely, staring down at his plate. Sojiro silently stared at him for a few seconds before turning back to the sink. Ren continued eating and drinking in silence until he had finished everything he was given. He carefully stood up and grabbed his bag, ignoring the slight throbs of pain that pulsed through his head.

"Could you flip the sign for me?" Sojiro asked, drying another cup.

"Sure thing." Ren responded simply as he stepped through the door, flipping the sign to 'open' like he was asked to. He let out a sigh before heading out on his route to school again, hoping that he'd actually arrive this time.

Ren's hoping paid off, since he managed to arrive without any problems at all. He felt a little nervous when he passed through the Residential Area, but nothing happened. However, that just made him even more confused about what happened the day before. The raven haired boy couldn't help but feel a little disappointed about the fact that he didn't see Kitagawa on his way to school, but he pushed that thought from his mind as he made his way to faculty office. 

After asking a faculty member and wandering around for a couple of minutes, Ren finally found his destination and cautiously opened the door. He peered into the room and scanned his eyes around for his teacher. Spotting the man at the front of the room, Ren walked over to Matsunaga's desk.

"Well, look who actually showed up!" Matsunaga cheered sarcastically. Ren felt a twinge of panic in his chest.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, Sir..." Ren apologised while bashfully bowing.

"Hey, hey, no need to apologise. Just a little joke, little laugh. Anyway, you're in Class 2-B, okay? Homeroom begins in about five minutes, so we'll introduce you and then sort out all of your textbooks during break. Sound good?" Matsunaga replied nonchalantly, a lazy smirk on his face.

"Yes, Sir." Ren agreed feebly. He didn't really like Matsunaga's sense of humour, it made him feel uncomfortable.

"Well, okie dokie. C'mon, let's get going." Matsunaga carried on, pushing himself out of his chair and sauntering out of the room, with a sheepish Ren following close behind him like a lost puppy.

"Okay, everyone listen up: Today, we've got a transfer student joining us, so make him feel welcome, alright? Go ahead and introduce yourself." Matsunaga announced to the class as Ren wrote his name on the blackboard behind him. Turning around to face his new classmates, Rentried his best to ignore the nervous beating in his chest. He hated the way they all stared at him.

"I'm Ren Amamiya. It's nice to meet all of you." Ren greeted them and bowed politely. Everyone in the class instantly began whispering to each other, speculating about the new boy with scruffy hair.

"Okay, now let's see... Where can you sit...? Ah! There we go, that empty seat next to Togo-chan, you can sit there. Alright, Amamiya?" Matsunaga announced, pointing to a raven haired girl with careful posture, sat at her desk. Ren glanced to the right to see that his desk was the one next to the window, however the main thing that caught his attention was the student sat at the desk behind his: Yusuke Kitagawa. The boys stared at each other in surprise for a few seconds before composing themselves.

"Yes, Sir." Ren responded to the teacher as he wandered over to his new desk and carefully sat down. Matsunaga nodded at the boy and began searching for some papers he placed on his desk. The moment he pulled out his pencil case from his bag, he heard everyone gossiping about him.

"You hear anything about a transfer student before this?"

"No, you'd think they'd give us some kinda warning..."

"I heard he's on a scholarship."

"Really? He doesn't look like anything special."

"Seriously... I mean look at his hair, can he even afford a hairdresser?"

"Whatever, just don't let him near me..."

Ren frowned silently to himself as he placed his pencil case on his desk before being softly poked on his arm. He turned to find the girl sat next to him looking at him.

"Hey, don't mind what everyone else says, this is an expensive school, so most of the students here are spoiled rich kids. They treat all of us scholarship students like this, so don't worry about it." She reassured him with a gentle smile. Ren couldn't help but blush at how genuine her words and smile were.

"T-Thank you, u-um..."

"Hifumi Togo." The girl introduced herself, stretching her hand out towards the glasses-wearing boy.

"Ren Amamiya. It's nice to meet you, Togo-san." Ren replied politely, as he shook her hand with a smile.

"Alright, everyone. Let's get the roll call over and done with, so we get started on the lesson." Matsunaga carried on after finding the sheets he needed. The student in charge of the roll call stood up and spoke in a bored, monotone voice,

"Everyone, please rise..."

The bell rang out, signalling break time. Ren stretched his back and sighed as it let out a crack sound. Yusuke eagerly leaned forward to speak to the raven haired boy, but was cut off by the teacher.

"Right, c'mon Amamiya, let's go get those textbooks." Matsunaga huffed out, while lazily gesturing for Ren to follow him.

"Yes, Sir." Ren responded, fully aware that he was beginning to sound like a broken record as he slid out of his chair and walked after his teacher. Yusuke awkwardly sat back on his seat as he watched the mysterious transfer student that saved his life exit the room. There was so much that he wanted to talk to him about, but it seemed that he would have to wait a while. He decided to check his schedule so he could prepare for the next lesson, only to be distracted by the loud gossiping classmates stood behind him.

"What's up with that kid? He's like a robot."

"I know, right? How creepy can you get?"

"Yeah... Y'know, I heard that he's got a criminal record!"

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah! Apparently he attacked some guy!"

"Wow, guess he's just as stupid as he looks..."

Yusuke couldn't help but scowl. Sure, he didn't really know him, but he could tell that none of that was true. Creepy? He was incredibly polite yesterday. Attacked someone? Bullshit, he saved his life. Looks stupid? Were they blind? He was beautiful. Although, Yusuke could see the hint of sadness in his eyes. As Yusuke tried to ignore the baseless rumours being spewed behind him, he heard Hifumi let out a disgruntled groan.

"Why can't they shut up?" She hissed quietly. Hifumi was ordinarily extremely polite and well mannered, but she lost those qualities when she was irritated- their spoiled classmates seemed to be very skilled at irritating her. "It's not like they actually know anything about him..." She muttered bitterly, resting her chin on her hand.

"I'd have to agree. But, what can you do? They only really care about themselves and whatever's their chosen topic of the week..." Yusuke commented sharply, just loud enough for only Hifumi to hear him, pushing his hair behind his ear. Hifumi chuckled in response before glancing over to the classroom door.

"I just hope he won't let any of this get to him..." She murmured with a worried expression on her face. Yusuke agreed with her completely. He knew that she probably felt some kind of kinship with Ren due to being a fellow scholarship student like she did with him. However, Yusuke felt something a little bit more. 

He wasn't sure how to describe it, but he felt something when he first saw Ren: the same surge of emotion he felt when he saw the Sayuri for the first time. But that wasn't it. Ren had a very mysterious aura to him that made Yusuke want to learn more about him. That feeling was only amplified by the fact that he had saved him and that strange power he displayed. Yusuke just quietly hummed in thought to himself as he knew that he'd have to talk to Ren about this after school.

The day seemed to drag for Ren. The classes were all just introductions to the subjects, the teachers were either really boring or really eccentric, and all he could hear during lunch was the other students gossiping about him. He wasn't sure how, but they'd seemed to have discovered his criminal record, so his anxiety levels were sky high. Wonderful. And throughout the entire day, he hadn't had a single opportunity to speak to Yusuke. He let out a tired sigh as he exited the building, trying to block out all of the gossip following him. He just stared down at the floor as he meandered through the school gate.

"Hey." A sudden voice caused him to practically jump out of his skin. He spun around to find Yusuke leaning gracefully on the wall. Ren sighed again, but this time out of relief.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you..." Yusuke apologised worriedly, checking to see if Ren was okay. The boy in question was clutching his chest and breathing heavily.

"N-No, it's fine, you just... caught me off guard is all..." Ren reassured him, waving his hand dismissively. Yusuke couldn't help but worry. This boy seemed to be very easily startled... Was there a reason for that? He waited until Ren's breathing had returned to normal before speaking up again.

"Again, I'm terribly sorry, it's just I've been meaning to speak with you all day..." He admitted, keeping an eye on the other boy.

"Yeah... Who'd have thought that we'd be in the same class, huh?" Ren replied light heartedly.

"Yes, it was quite the coincidence, thought I must say I'm glad." Yusuke responded with a small smile. Ren's eyes widened a little bit in surprise. He looked at Yusuke with a quizzical look, confused by Yusuke's statement. "I just mean that I'm glad that there's another scholarship student, since we don't really fit in with the rest of the students." He explained. Ren nodded thoughtfully before blinking suddenly as a thought crossed his mind.

"Oh! By the way, thank you for yesterday. I was told that I'd probably be a lot worse for wear if you hadn't been there." He mentioned gratefully, bowing slightly.

"There's no need to thank me. I'm just glad that you're alright... You are alright, aren't you?" Yusuke bashfully responded.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bruise on the back of my head." Ren assured him, rubbing the bruise carefully.

"Anyway, was there something you needed? You did wait out here for me, after all." He changed the subject, staring up at Yusuke expectantly.

"Yes... Although, I don't really want to trouble you..." Yusuke answered, avoiding eye contact as he began to lose confidence in his idea.

"It's fine, go on." Ren encouraged him softly as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder.

"It's about what happened yesterday... That strange museum..." Yusuke pronounced. Ren went silent for a few seconds as he shifted from foot to foot.

"...What about it?" He asked, gently encouraging Yusuke to continue.

"I... Well, I-I want to go back there." Yusuke quietly admitted. The shock and confusion were clear on Ren's face.

'Why would he want to go back when he almost died?' He couldn't help but think to himself.

"It's just... I heard one of those monsters mention my Sensei, and now I can't help but wonder if that place is related to him somehow... I just... I just want to know what's going on." Yusuke explained slowly. Ren could tell that the whole thing was bothering him- Yusuke's eyes just looked worried and tired. Ren considered the situation; They did almost die yesterday... and he was technically injured right now... But, he couldn't help but be curious about that world- and he wanted to know more about Morgana.

He sighed, "...Okay." 

"Really?" Yusuke asked, surprise plastered on his face.

"Yeah." Ren confirmed.

"Are you sure?" Yusuke checked, a small frown growing on his face.

"Yes." Ren confirmed again. He appreciated that Yusuke worried about him, but he had a feeling that this might go on for a while, so he quickly changed the subject.

"So, what exactly are we gonna do?" He asked, since they didn't really seem to have a plan. Yusuke pondered for a few seconds.

"Well, we're both heading home now, right? Why don't we walk back and keep an eye out for any suspicious or strange buildings?" He suggested. That plan was basic at best, but it wasn't like they actually had anything else they could try, so Ren just agreed.

"It's worth a try." He shrugged.

"Very well, shall we be on our way?" Yusuke asked politely, gesturing for Ren to walk alongside him. With no other clear options, the boys began their walk back through the Residential Area.

The boys investigated around the entire Residential Area. Nothing. Just a boring, quiet line of buildings, not a sign of peculiar activity anywhere. Ren frowned in confusion. This only made him even more confused about yesterday's events, and his head was starting to hurt from all of the walking.

"How odd... I could have sworn that the museum was somewhere around here..." Yusuke mumbled to himself, his eyebrows creased together in thought. "It's not as if a building that large could simply disappear, right? Did we make a wrong turn?" Ren wasn't sure what to think. 

Yusuke turned to face him. "Should we try again?" he suggested.

"Again..?" Ren groaned. That probably came across as ruder than he intended, but at this point he was tired and just wanted to have a lie down.

"Don't worry, I live in this area, I won't make a wrong turn again." Yusuke assured, seemingly not catching onto Ren's slight irritation at all. Ren just quietly agreed, following behind the blue-haired boy around the streets once again.

Another journey around the Residential Area. Another investigation with no results. Ren sighed exhaustedly as he leaned on a wall.

"How strange... Nothing at all...? Do you have any idea where that building could be?" Yusuke asked with his hand resting on his chin, eyes scanning the houses around them. Ren didn't have the heart to remind him that he'd only just moved to Tokyo.

"Why don't you check on your phone?" He suggested instead, gently scratching at the back of his head.

"I'm afraid I've already tried that, and nothing ca- Wait... Phone?" Yusuke responded as a sudden thought hit him.

"Is something wrong?" Ren checked.

"Weren't you on your phone when that happened yesterday? And when we arrived back here, didn't your phone say something like 'Welcome back to the real world'?" Yusuke interrogated him, seeming to be onto something- Ren wasn't entirely sure. After all the insanity, small details like that had already slipped from his memory.

"Didn't you have some kind of navigation app on at the time?" Yusuke persisted, determined to get to the bottom of the situation. Ren pulled out his phone to check.

'Wait... navigation...?' A thought suddenly came across his mind.

"Would you mind if I saw your phone for a moment?" Yusuke requested polited, extending his hand.

"Knock yourself out." Ren responded, placing the phone carefully into Yusuke's hand. The blue haired boy began scrolling through the apps intently.

"What is this eyeball icon for?" Yusuke asked, his finger hovering over the screen.

"I dunno... I keep deleting it, but it keeps coming back..." Ren explained.

"How odd..." Yusuke muttered as he clicked on the app. "Oh! This is it! See, this is a navigation app! There's your search history right there!" He exclaimed proudly as he figured it out.

"Search history...? W-Whaddya mean? I don't think I've ever used that app?" Ren asked, slightly flustered from the sudden information.

"Ichiryusai Madarame. Master Artist. Shack. Museum." Yusuke read out the words that were displayed on the screen. Ren's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Surely, we should be able to return there with this!" Yusuke exclaimed excitedly, his eyes sparkling.

"But, I don't know how..." Ren awkwardly admitted.

"Then, I'll do it." Yusuke insisted, pressing the 'confirm' button. "After this, we headed towards my house..." He continued, but trailed off as he noticed Ren focusing on the environment surrounding them. 

The sky turned from light blue, to purple, to red, to indigo. The surrounding area seemed to stay the same, but the shack... The shack began to twist and morph right before their eyes. The dull browns and greys turned to an overwhelming amount of gold. The once silent street was now filling with people lining up to enter the building. The once empty garden was now filling with hedges and an excellent fountain. Sculptures lined the pathway into the museum. All of that happened within a few second, right in front of the two boys. The outfit of one of the boys had also morphed, unbeknownst to them.

"This is the museum from yesterday!" Yusuke exclaimed, half amazed, half bewildered. Ren wandered forward cautiously, remembering those strange guards from the day before.

"If we were able to make it back... That would mean that yesterday wasn't a dream, after all..." Yusuke mumbled to himself before gasping. Ren cocked his head a little bit, confused at the sudden reaction.

"Your clothes...! That happened last time, didn't it? What's with that outfit?" Yusuke stated, pointing at Ren's new attire. The mask wearing boy widened his eyes slightly, surprised that he didn't notice sooner before composing himself and grinning cockily at the blue haired boy.

"Jealous?" He asked cheekily.

"O-Of course not..." Yusuke bashfully dismissed him, but the blush on his face said otherwise.

'Cute...' Ren thought to himself, his grin still displayed on his face.

"What's going on here? None of this makes sense..." Yusuke frowned, clearly starting to get a little irritated at the lack of information.

"Hey!" A familiar voice called out to them. The duo glanced over in the direction the voice came from... And found Morgana peeking at them from behind the corner of the gate.

"Stop making a commotion." The cat commanded them with a scowl as it waddled over.

"Ah... You?!" Yusuke remarked in surprise.

"The Shadows started acting up, so I came here wondering what it could be... To think you guys would come back to the entrance when you barely managed to escape." Morgana huffed in disbelief, shaking his fluffy head.

"What is this ...Is this my home?" Yusuke asked, a note of desperation in his voice.

"That's right." Morgana answered.

"But... It's a museum?" Ren argued, unsure of what Morgana meant.

"This museum IS the shack... But only to this museum's ruler." The cat made clear.

"The museum's ruler...? Do you mean…” Yusuke paused, eyes flashing with hesitation, “Madarame-Sensei?" His voice had grown softer, more uncertain. Morgana nodded.

"It's how his distorted heart views his home." He stated, crossing his small, fluffy arms across his chest.

"Madarame... Distorted...?" Ren muttered under his breath, placing his hand on his chin as he thought. As he about to ask Morgana to explain, a scream echoed out from the building.

"What the hell was that?" Ren asked, instantly feeling on edge.

"That's what happens to people who intrude into the museum." Morgana stated quietly.

"S-So... That's what would have happened to us if we didn't escape yesterday?" Yusuke enquired, sweating slightly.

"Basically."

Ren took a nervous gulp. It was only just starting to dawn on him, the fact that they nearly died the day before.

"The ruler of this place rarely appears, but he seems to be pretty pissed about your escape yesterday, so he ordered even quicker and harsher punishments on intruders." Morgana explained seriously. Ren and Yusuke glanced anxiously at each other after hearing that information.

"What the hell?" Ren whispered to himself.

"By the way... Why did you two come back here? You should know that it's dangerous here, right?" Morgana changed the subject, ears flattening slightly- concern overriding his expression.

"I know that this museum is connected to my Sensei in some way... And I need to know why." Yusuke admitted earnestly.

"Well, someone can only have a palace if their heart is distorted... And many people who have distorted hearts commit some sort of atrocities. I've figured out a few things after investigating this palace for a while, but do you know of anything Madarame might have done?" Morgana enquired, taking Yusuke's problem seriously. Yusuke didn't respond. A distressed frown appeared on his face as he was lost in thought.

"Yusuke?" Ren called out to him softly, concerned by the empty look in the artist's eyes. Yusuke flinched at the voice.

"N-No, he's never done anything... But, what do you mean that you've discovered some things?" He answered in a hurried tone. Ren wasn't convinced he was being wholly honest, but let it go for now.

"Palaces tend to reflect the ruler's desires and actions, so I've managed to deduce some things about this Madarame... He doesn't seem like a good man." Morgana explained.

"Ridiculous! He took me in when I was a child!" Yusuke argued angrily.

"You want to learn about the palace, right? Just... follow me. You'll learn a lot. But, you'd better be careful! Unlike frizzy hair here, you don't have a Persona so you can't fight the shadows." Morgana sighed out.

"Shadows?" Ren repeated in confusion. Morgana groaned and face palmed.

"Alright, let me explain everything you need to know about palaces..."

After an in-depth explanation all about Palaces, Shadows, Distortions, Personas as well as a few useful battle tips, Ren felt as though he understood this Metaverse to a certain degree.

"Now that you understand just how dangerous this place is, are you still sure that you wanna investigate?" Morgana checked, a sudden serious aura around him... Well, as serious as a cute cat could be.

"Yes. I need to know the truth." Yusuke affirmed, unwavering.

"Well then, frizzy hair, you keep a close eye on blueberry here, you'll basically be his bodyguard." Morgana instructed the boy with the mask. Ren didn't really appreciate the nicknames, but he chose to let them slide for the time being.

"Right." Ren agreed with a determined nod. Morgana smirked.

"Good. Now then, follow me." He told them with a flick of his tail as he scampered off to the side of the garden.

"H-Hey, wait! The door's right there, why are we heading this way?" Ren asked nervously, unsure of the cat was thinking.

"Hmph, you really are an amateur, aren't you? A phantom thief knows that the best entrance is an entrance the enemy doesn't know of!" Morgana retaliated with a cocky smirk, as he jumped up onto a sculpture. "This way!"

Ren jumped up onto the sculpture with ease, not realising how high up it was until he looked down. Did this thief outfit make him better at gymnastics, could it be another trick of the Metaverse? 

Yusuke looked up at Ren with a troubled expression, probably unsure of how to get up there himself. Ren chuckled quietly to himself as he reached a hand out towards to Yusuke, letting the boy grab onto him and pull him up. By the time the boys turned around, Morgana was already five sculptures away from them. They quickly and carefully hopped from sculpture to sculpture, rushing to catch up to the little kitty.

"Keep moving! And be quiet!" Morgana whispered as he gestured to a pair of patrolling guards underneath the bridge like structure he was stood on. The group tiptoed carefully across the bridge until they reached the building.

"Now what?" Yusuke asked in a hushed voice.

"We climb, obviously." Morgana replied haughtily as he leapt up onto a ledge. He pointed up at a series of ledges that led up to the roof. Ren took a deep breath in preparation before jumping up at the ledge and pulling himself up. He made sure he had steady footing before reaching down for Yusuke. The two of them had to be careful here, one false move and they'd both go tumbling down to the ground... And probably get overwhelmed by those shadows. After finally reaching the roof, they followed Morgana to a skylight, where he pulled out a rope. The cat struggled for a moment, fiddling with the rope between his paws, before turning to Ren, unable to meet his eye.

"Could you open this?" He asked embarrassedly. Ren snickered quietly when he realised it was because the cat couldn't open the window by himself. The two teenagers pushed the window up while Morgana tied the rope to the catch and let it fall into the room. He silently gestured with his paw for the boys to follow him and slid down the rope.

"Are you sure you wanna do this? It seems kinda dangerous..." Ren whispered worriedly to the blue-haired boy next to him.

"I'm sure. I need to know what's going on." Yusuke answered determinedly as he slid down the rope. Ren sighed anxiously before following close behind.

The room they had entered was covered wall to wall in paintings. Portraits, to be more precise, but there was something strange about them. 

The paint seemed to be distorting, warping, twirling, rippling. It was kind of unnerving. Ren couldn't help but glance over at Yusuke, who had gone completely silent.

"This way!" Morgana out to them from the doorway to the next room. Ren noticed that there were motion sensors by the door.

"Wait, how the hell do we get past this?" He whispered urgently.

"We just slide underneath it. Jeez, this guy really doesn't trust anyone..." Morgana muttered as he wiggled his way past the laser. Yusuke watched him with a troubled expression. Ren just patted his shoulder encouragingly and slid under the laser. Yusuke was the last one to enter the second room, carefully crawling through the doorway. 

The trio crept through the halls of what seemed to be a gallery, and peeked around the corner. The coast was clear. Morgana signalled for them to follow him as he sped to the next corner. As they ventured through a third room, Yusuke suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Ren enquired, glancing around for any potential attackers.

"I know this man..." Yusuke muttered in disbelief. Ren glanced at the painting. It was an adult man with black hair in bowl-cut, wearing glasses and a suit. Ren frowned at it in confusion as he looked down at the nameplate.

"Natsuhiko Nakanohara... What's this about?" He pondered out loud. Morgana waddled over with his short stubby legs.

"I've been investigating this palace for quite a now. All of these portraits represent this Madarame fellow's pupils. Although, from what I've gathered, there's only one left now." He explained with a proud flick of the tail.

"Does the fact that they're paintings mean something?" Ren asked carefully, not wanting to upset Yusuke.

"It basically means that Madarame only sees his pupils as objects to owned." Morgana replied matter-of-factly. Yusuke grew paler and bit his lip after hearing that information. Ren could tell that Yusuke was extremely anxious about this, but he had no idea how to help him.

"We should probably keep going..." He spoke softly, after noticing Morgana trotting off down the corridor. Yusuke just nodded silently and followed close behind the masked boy.

"I thought that you looked familiar, Blueberry..." Morgana stated as he stopped in front of another painting.

"I really don't appreciate that-" Yusuke started to complain about Morgana's nickname for him, but quickly cut himself off the moment he saw the painting.Ren couldn't help but gasp at the sight. The painting displayed a tall, slender boy with deep blue eyes and deep blue hair swept to the side, wearing a purple dress shirt and a sweet smile on his face. The painting displayed Yusuke Kitagawa. Ren glanced at the boy in question. Yusuke was clearly extremely distressed by this portrait, unable to tear his horror-stricken gaze away.

"I'm guessing that you're that remaining pupil, huh?" Morgana stated, crossing his stubby arms and staring up at Yusuke. "Do you have any ideas as to why all the other students left?"

"I-I-" Yusuke stuttered before taking a deep breath and composing himself. "I'm afraid I don't know." He answered harshly, looking down at the floor. Ren frowned at him.   
It was clear that Yusuke was lying, but Ren noticed something else. Something on Yusuke's forehead. Ren couldn't really tell what it was from the distance, but he had an good idea about what it was.

"Let's just continue, shall we?" Yusuke suggested as he began walking down the nearby steps. The boy and the cat exchanged worried looks before following the taller boy. Ren could see a glint of gold out of the corner of his eye, and he had a faint inkling that was probably where they should head next, however, he stopped in front of the counter to pick up something else that caught his attention.

"Oh! A map, good idea! Remember this, maps are extremely important in Palaces, so whenever you find one, take it with you!" Morgana explained, acting as if he was some kind of old, wise mentor.

'Isn't that just common sense?' Ren thought to himself as he rolled his eyes, slipping the map into his pocket. After that minor detour, the group made their way towards the source of the golden glow.

"The hell is that?" Ren asked, as they approached it. It appeared to be some sort of statue, depicting children that seemed to be in pain- Ren couldn't really tell what it was supposed to be. Morgana leapt up and read the plate.

"The Infinite Spring... Huh." Yusuke tilted his head as he analysed the sculpture while Ren knelt down next to Morgana and read the description of the statue.

"A conglomerate work of art that the great director Madarame created with his own funds. These individuals must offer theirs ideas to the director for the rest of their lives. Those who cannot do so have no worth living?!" Ren got progressively more pissed off as he read. He had never met Madarame in his life, but he was disgusted by him. 

Slowly, as he calmed down, Ren began analysing all of the information they had uncovered so far. The existence of the museum, the motion sensors, the paintings, the statue... It all made sense now. Ren turned to Yusuke with a stern expression.

"Yusuke. This Sensei of yours... He steals his pupils' art and abuses them, doesn't he?" He enquired, completely seriously. He had never been so pissed off before in his life. Yusuke flinched and nervously scoffed.

"T-That's absurd! Sensei would never-" He denied, before being cut off by an unfamiliar voice.

"So, these are the ruffians who broke in and escaped yesterday, eh?"

"Who's there?! What the-?!" Morgana snapped as he spun around to face the ambusher. Ren followed suit.

"What the fu-?" He exclaimed at the sight. The voice belonged to an old man who was dressed as some kind of Shogun. The amount of gold he was wearing was so overwhelming, Ren had to squint his eyes. So, this is what Morgana meant by a shadow…

"Welcome to the Museum of the Master Artist, Madarame!" He declared dramatically, a group of guards appeared from behind him. Ren quickly got into a battle stance, there was no telling what was going to happen now.

"...Huh? Sensei? Is that you? That attire..." Yusuke asked cautiously, stepping slowly towards the shadow.

"Disgusting." Morgana spat out, drawing his cutlass in anticipation.

"This... This is all one big lie... Isn't it...?" Yusuke asked his guardian, desperate yet scared to know the truth. Madarame tutted.

"My usual ragged attire is nothing but an act. Besides, a famous person living in that shack? I have another home... Under a mistress' name, of course." The shadow bragged, sticking his nose up at the trio.

"This is absurd... You're an artist, aren't you ashamed that you're just plagiarizing other people's work?!" Ren growled, disgusted by the shallow man in front of him.

"Hahaha! How naive! Art is nothing but a tool! A tool to gain money and fame!" Madarame bragged with a delirious smile before directing his condescending glare at his pupil. "You helped me greatly as well, Yusuke..."

"But, what about the people who believe in you- Who think that you're a master artist?!" Yusuke persisted, unable to accept the true version of his master.

"I'll tell you this alone, Yusuke. If you wish to succeed in this world, I'd advise you don't rise against me. Do you believe anyone could find success with my objection holding them down? Hahahahahaha!" The shadow threatened the boy knelt before him with a sadistic smirk. Yusuke grimaced at those cruel words.

"To think I was in the care of this wretched man...!" The blue haired groaned in shame as he pushed himself off the floor.

"You thought I took you in out of the goodness of my heart? Plucking talented, yet troubled artists allows me to find promising pupils and take their ideas... After all, it's much easier to steal the futures of children who can't fight back." Madarame bragged in a mocking tone, looking down on his pupil.

"I can't believe this..." Yusuke muttered half heartedly with tears forming in his eyes.

"Livestock are killed for their hide and meat! This is no different, you fool!" Madarame shouted, justifying his actions in his own eyes. "...But, I tire of this little chat. It's time that I..."

"...You are unforgivable." Yusuke snarled.

"Hm?"

"It doesn't matter who you are... I won't forgive you!" He declared, pushing himself into a standing position and glaring at the man he called his teacher.

"So... You repay my keeping you around all these years with ingratitude...? You damn brat!" Madarame hissed in annoyance.

"Men, dispose of these thieves!" He commanded the shadows stood behind him. The shadows began closing in on the trio, their hulking frames causing quakes underfoot.

"Get back!" Ren called out to Yusuke, positioning himself between Yusuke and the shadows. However, Yusuke’s attention seemed far away from Ren, from the imminent danger the shadows posed.

"How amusing..." Yusuke’s voice was uncaring, light and bordering on dark amusement.

"Huh..?" Ren was startled by that response as Yusuke began laughing. It was a strange laugh. It sounded relieved, angry... and heartbroken all at the same time.

"It seems that truth is stranger than fiction, hm...?" Yusuke chuckled in a melancholy tone.

"Kitagawa-san...?" Ren asked, worried at the boy stood behind him.

"I wanted to believe it wasn't true... I had clouded my vision for so long... My eyes were truly blind... Blind, and unable to see the true self behind this one horrible man...!" Yusuke admitted, his voice growing deeper and more aggressive as he continued speaking. He pushed his way past Ren to stare at his now former master. It was at that point that a voice rang out in Yusuke's head.

"Have you finally come to your senses?" As those words echoed through Yusuke's brain, a searing pain pulsed through his head. Releasing a loud gasp, he clutched his head, swaying from side to side in an attempt to make the pain subside. The voice continued. "How foolishly you averted your eyes from the truth... A deplorable imitation indeed... Best you part from that aspect of yourself!" Yusuke howled in pain as he collapsed to the floor, unable to handle the burning sensation in his brain. He dug his fingernails into the floor, hoping that it would help distract him from the overwhelming pain, throbbing through his head. He clawed at the carpet so hard that his fingers began to bleed, leaving a trail of blood behind them.

"Let us now forge a contract... The world is filled with both beauty and vice... It is time you teach people which is which!" The voice commanded. As Yusuke snapped his head up and glared at Madarame with a burning determination, a white and red kitsune mask appeared on his face.

"Very well..." Yusuke responded to the voice as he rose to his feet, blood dripping from his fingertips. "Come, Goemon!" He yelled victoriously as he ripped the mask off of his face with one graceful motion. Blood seeped out from his forehead as blue flames consumed his entire body. When the flames had dissipated, Yusuke's outfit was completely different. He was wearing a navy blue outlaw garb with a large white collar, exposing his chest slightly, matched by white boots, a white and red fox tail hung from his belt. Yusuke stomped forward and swung his arms into a dramatic pose with a flourish. His Persona, Goemon, followed suit, illuminated brilliantly behind him

"A breathtaking sight... Imitations they may be, but together, they make a fine spectacle. Though the flowers of evil blossom, be it known... Abominations are fated to perish!" He declared poetically, swinging his arm at the end of his speech, Goemon mimicking his movements and sending a wall of ice towards the incoming guards, freezing them solid.

"Whoa, this is impressive!" Morgana exclaimed excitedly. Madarame swiped his arm to cut through the icy mist and scowled indignantly.

"...Hmph, who do you think you are? The price for your insolence will be death! Where are my guards?! Kill them all!" He screeched furiously, summoning more guards to fight on his behalf.

"The children who adored you as 'father'... The prospects of your pupils... How many did you trample upon...? How many dreams did you exchange for riches?!” A conniving smirk curled on Madarame’s lips, “No matter what it takes... I will bring you to justice!" Yusuke questioned his father, letting his rage seep through into words. Ren stared at Yusuke in awe before matching his determination, a devious grin growing on his face .

"Let's see what you're made of." He encouraged Yusuke cheekily, spinning his dagger around in his hand.

"Very well, bring it on!" Yusuke agreed instantly, rebellion clear in his eyes as he sped towards the nearest shadow, slicing through it with his katana, killing it instantly. Ren summoned Arsene, blasting a curse attack at the two shadows to the left. Morgana slid through Ren's legs and pulled out a slingshot, firing large metal spheres at the shadow, shooting them right in the face.

"Crush them, Goemon!" Yusuke commanded. Goemon launched a strong ice attack at the remaining two shadows into ice blocks, smashing them to pieces with a swift kick. After all of the shadows had been annihilated, Yusuke sheathed his katana and began walking toward Madarame with a cold glare. After a few steps, Yusuke's legs gave out from under him and he collapsed onto the floor with a tired groan.

"Yusuke, you've just thrown your bright future down the drain. I'll destroy every chance you've ever had of becoming an artist...!" Madarame spat out spitefully.

"Madarame!" Yusuke snarled furiously.

"You'll forever rue the day you dared defy me." Madarame warned him, before turning to walk away through the door leading to deeper into the museum, doors swinging shut behind him.

"Get... back here...!" Yusuke growled, leaping forward to chase after the shadow, but collapsed back onto the floor.

"Kitagawa-san!" Ren called out, leaning down to help him.

"Why can't I move?!" Yusuke grunted in frustration, punching his knee.

"Awakening to your Persona completely drains your energy, you won't be able to much in your current condition... We need to get you out of here so you can rest!" Morgana explained urgently, peeking around for any possible shadow reinforcements.

"What a disgrace I am...!" Yusuke grimaced shamefully.

"Are you kidding? That was badass!" Ren argued, sliding Yusuke's arm over his shoulders and pulling him up off the ground. Yusuke just sighed in defeat, and let Ren carry him off towards their infiltration point.

After exiting the building, the two teenagers hid behind the gate, hoping that the patrolling shadows couldn't see them while Morgana scouted around the building's perimeter. 

Ren's head was beginning to throb from all of the running and fighting they had do. He placed his hand gently onto it and hoped that would sooth the pain until he could take one of his painkillers. Yusuke just winced at the floor, trying his hardest not to cry.

"Are you... okay?" Ren awkwardly asked, unsure of what to do. He just clumsily patted Yusuke on the back.

"I just... I knew... I always knew... I just wanted to believe that it wasn't true..." Yusuke admitted, his voice quivering slightly. Ren just frowned silently. Sure, he didn't really know Yusuke, but he could tell that he was a good guy, and he hated seeing him suffer like this.

"The coast is clear!" Morgana called out as he came prancing back towards the two boys.

"We should probably get going now." Ren stated, standing up and offering his hand to Yusuke.

"Hey! Are you just gonna leave me here?!" Morgana protested, his tail frizzing up in irritation. Ren just flinched at the sudden yelling while Yusuke took his hand and carefully stood up.

"We can't really help it... You're the one who said that we need to get Yusuke out of here... We'll come back, I promise." Ren replied hurriedly, anxious to get the exhausted Yusuke out of the palace and to safety.

"Seriously?! I explain how palaces work to you, I help you with your investigation, I fight alongside you, and you won't even help me?!" Morgana complained indignantly. Ren felt really guilty now.

"I'm terribly sorry, Morgana..." Yusuke apologised tiredly. Ren nodded at Morgana sheepishly as he began to jog off towards the exit of the palace.

"Hey! Get back here! Ggggrrrraaaaaggghhhh!" Morgana howled out in annoyance as the two boys disappeared from his sight.

When the boys stopped running, Ren glanced around cautiously. He saw Yusuke's house, and some women walking home with their children across the street. They had made it, they were back in the real world, they were safe. Ren sighed in relief.

"We're back, you okay now?" Ren asked Yusuke softly.

"You've been asking me that quite a lot." Yusuke commented, pushing himself off of Ren's shoulder.

"Well, I mean, I passed out after awakening to my Persona..." Ren retorted light heartedly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Heh... That is true..." Yusuke chuckled with a smile on his face. He gently patted down his clothes, shaking off any dirt and dust that had built up on them.

"That reminds me... I never got the chance to thank you for what you did yesterday... So, let me take you out for a meal." Yusuke offered politely, a bright smile on his face.

"Uh, no, no, it's fine, you don't have to do that! Don't waste your money on me!" Ren stuttered bashfully. He didn't really feel as if he had done anything to warrant any thanks.

"Nonsense. You've saved me twice already, and we've only known each other two days! I have to repay you in some way. There's a diner that I enjoy going to, let me take you there." Yusuke protested with a small smile on his face. Ren sheepishly fiddled with his hair as he considered Yusuke's offer. He didn't really know his way round Shibuya yet... And he was pretty hungry after all that fighting…

"Well... If you're sure you want to..." He awkwardly agreed, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"Alright, then. Shall we go?" Yusuke suggested with a triumphant grin. Ren couldn't help but smile a little bit as he followed close behind the artist. They walked down Central Street, Yusuke frequently glancing back to make sure that Ren hadn't gotten lost in the crowds.

"Ow!" Yusuke heard Ren gasp. He whipped his around to see Ren on the floor and an irritated man in a suit glaring down at him.

"Watch it, you dumb brat!" The man snapped as he continued walking away.

"I-I'm sorry..." Ren mumbled sadly.

"Are you alright?" Yusuke checked, as he helped Ren back to his feet before collecting the belongings that had fallen out of his bag.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, besides it was my fault, I should have been looking where I was going..." Ren quickly protested, extremely flustered. That was something else Yusuke had noticed about him- he was very quick to blame himself for everything, even when he wasn't at fault.

"No, it wasn't. It's unfortunate, but Tokyo is full of people like him..." Yusuke disagreed firmly. Ren just awkwardly looked down at his feet. Yusuke sighed to himself before changing the subject.

"Anyway, we're almost there, the diner's just over there. I think you'll like it, everything on the menu is delicious and it's cheap." He informed the raven haired boy with a smile. Ren's eyes widened at that news.

"That seems like it'll be useful to know... Thanks for that." He thanked the artist quietly as they entered the building.

"It's pretty quiet in here... I kinda like it." Ren commented as he scanned his eyes around the diner. It was kind of small, but it had a relaxing atmosphere and the food smelt really good. His stomach growled as he waited for his food to arrive with anticipation.

"Yes, it is usually busier than this, but it's never overwhelming. I'd recommend coming here when it's raining." Yusuke agreed with a content smile on his face. Ren didn't say anything, his stomach just growled again, much louder than last time.

"When was the last time you ate?" Yusuke asked jokingly with a snicker. Ren looked off to the side thoughtfully.

"Um... This morning...?" He admitted sheepishly with a nervous grin. Yusuke's mouth dropped in surprise.

"Seriously? You didn't eat at lunch?" He questioned, slightly worried.

"No, the teachers were dragging me around and showing me all of the classrooms..." Ren explained, twirling a tuft of his hair with his fingers, Yusuke looked about to retort when they were interrupted

"Thank you for waiting! Here are your meals!" The waitress announced cheerfully as she approached the table and placed the plates down in front of the pair.

"Thank you very much." They replied in unison.

"So, what do you think of Kosei so far?" Yusuke asked as the two dug into their meals. Ren thought about it as he chewed.

"I'm not sure just yet... The students seem kinda bratty, though..." Ren replied after swallowing his mouthful.

"Yes... Like Hifumi told you, they're all from rather wealthy families, so the majority of them are quite spoiled... They look down on scholar students just because we don't have much money, and spread silly rumours for their own entertainment. I mean, they've already spread a ridiculous rumour about you having a criminal record!" Yusuke conversed as he cut up his food. He couldn't help but laugh a little at the end of his final sentence, that rumour was just so absurd. Ren grimaced dejectedly as he heard those words.

"I didn't do it..." Ren muttered, lowering his head and staring down at his lap. Yusuke felt a twinge in his chest at the sight. He just gazed at the boy sat in front of him, his eyes hidden by his hair. He just looked... broken…

"Wait... Is... Is that rumour true...?" Yusuke asked awkwardly, leaning forward slightly to get a better look at Ren's hidden face.

"I didn't do it..." Ren repeated, his voice trembling. Yusuke cringed as guilt consumed him.

"U-Um... Would you mind if I asked about it...?" He enquired, wanting to know what happened but not wanting to upset Ren.

"I saw a guy harassing this poor woman, I tapped him on the shoulder to get him to stop, but he turned around and tried to hit me... And 'cause he was drunk he fell over and hit his head... When the police came, he made the woman lie about what happened and then sued me. And no one believed me... No one even listened to me..." Ren told him, sliding down in his seat. Even though he couldn't his face, Yusuke could tell that Ren was trying his hardest not to cry. 

Yusuke glowered as he heard Ren's story. He had never been so pissed off in his life. Ren's entire life was ruined by one selfish adult...? 

"That's preposterous...! You were only trying to help! I-I'm sorry... I shouldn't have brought it up..." Yusuke griped, stabbing his fork into his food. He sighed guiltily as he looked away from Ren.

"...What about you?" Yusuke looked up at the source of the voice. Ren was staring at him with red eyes. "What's the story with you and Madarame?"

"Oh, you want to know about me? Well, I suppose it's only fair since I enquired about your past." Yusuke chuckled quietly. Ren coughed awkwardly as he took a sip of his drink.

"Very well... Let's see... My father died before I born, so I never really knew him. And my mother died when I was three, so I can't remember much of her... Madarame took me in and discovered my talent for painting, so he began teaching me... I've always known about the abuse, but I could never bring myself to speak up about it..." Yusuke leaned back into his seat as he told his story, slouched and determinedly avoiding Ren’s gaze.

"That's understandable... I mean, Madarame was essentially your father..." Ren muttered in response. He kept staring at Yusuke, more specifically his forehead. He knew he had seen something there earlier, but he wanted to make sure. Carefully, he leaned across the table and shifted Yusuke's hair out of the way to get a closer look. Yusuke flinched at the sudden contact, but Ren had already seen it. A scar.

"I thought so..." He murmured, expression sorrowful, as he sat back down.

"It was just an accident." Yusuke quickly refuted, carefully moving his hair back over the scar.

"You know that's what they always say..." Ren retorted with a whisper. Yusuke looked away. The boys continued their meals in an awkward silence for a couple of minutes.

"I guess we're both a little bit broken, hm?" Yusuke spoke up, a melancholy smile on his face.

"Heh... Seems like it." Ren sadly chuckled back.

"Y'know, now that I think about it, we haven't properly introduced ourselves to each other yet..." Yusuke realised. He stretched his hand out across the table.

"Yusuke Kitagawa."

Ren just stared at his hand before giggling quietly. He stretched his own hand across the table and grasped Yusuke's tightly.

"Ren Amamiya."

The two boys firmly shooks hands and laughed before returning to their meals, a new found cheerful atmosphere surrounding them.

"Oh wow, it's already starting to get kinda dark." Ren commented in surprise as they left the diner.

"Well, it is that time of year." Yusuke replied as he pulled his bag onto his shoulder.

"I should probably start heading home, I don't really know my way around the subway yet." Ren awkwardly explained, gesturing towards Shibuya Station.

"Wait just a moment!" Yusuke stopped him, clutching his shoulder softly.

"Hm?" Ren turned around to face Yusuke. "Is there something wrong?" He asked, unsure of what was going on. Yusuke pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"We should probably share our contact information, don't you think?" He suggested sheepishly.

"Oh! Uh... Sure thing." Ren bashfully agreed as he pulled his own phone. They held their phones until the alarm rang out, letting them know their numbers had been transferred successfully.

"Well, I suppose we should go home now, thank you for all of your help today... Bye." Yusuke stated as he began waving and walking away.

"Yeah, Thanks for buying me that meal... Bye, Yusuke." Ren called back as he waved and headed towards the Station. As he walked past the Buchiko statue, he couldn't help but grin happily to himself, mentally celebrating about making a friend. He had to try and keep it under control since he didn't want people looking at him weirdly. As soon as he’d boarded the train, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

[Yusuke: I'll see you tomorrow, Ren.]

Ren couldn't help but smile childishly as he read the message. He took a deep breath to calm himself and messaged back.

[Ren: Sure thing, I'm looking forward to it, Yusuke.]


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for me to upload this, Christmas, visiting family and such. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.  
> Also, I have started writing Chapter 4, but it may take me a while to finish it, 'cause I've caught a cold and my brain is too full of crap to function properly.  
> Happy New Year, everyone!

Ren was still grinning happily as he stepped through the Leblanc door.

"Ah, you're back. I hope you actually went to school today." Sojiro commented as he continued brewing a new pot of coffee.

"I did." Ren replied cheerfully.

"You behaved yourself, right? Didn't get into any trouble?" The bearded man asked, glancing at Ren over his glasses.

"I actually made a friend today!" Ren stated with a large smile as he pushed his glasses up. Sojiro raised his eyebrows at that news.

"Oh? They must be pretty strange if they wanna be friends with you." Sojiro remarked cheekily as he retreated into the kitchen to stir a pot of curry. Ren thought about Yusuke and the assortment of eccentricities he had displayed and chuckled quietly.

"Yeah, I guess so..." He sighed contentedly. He pulled his bag down from his shoulder into his hand and unzipped it.

"I'm gonna go check over my schedule and textbooks." The raven haired boy informed his current guardian as he pulled out a sheet of paper from his bag.

"Alright, I'll bring some food up for you." Sojiro responded as he taste tested the curry.

"No need, I've already eaten. Thanks for the offer, though." Ren quickly denied him, not wanting him to waste food.

"Okay then, you want a cup of coffee?" Sojiro asked.

"Oh, yes please!" Ren agreed cheerfully as he disappeared upstairs. Sojiro hummed thoughtfully to himself as he collected a cup and dish from the shelves.

"Seems pretty well behaved for a 'delinquent'..." He muttered quietly as he prepared the coffee. The kid seemed really shut off from everyone else and scared of people, but he looked a lot more cheerful and talkative now that he had a friend. Sojiro couldn't help but smile as that thought crossed his mind.

By the late evening, Ren had written down his entire school schedule as well as which textbooks he'd need in each lesson on his phone. He decided to keep the paper schedule 'cause it never hurt to have a spare. He stretched his back as he placed his phone onto the desk and the sheet and textbooks back into his schoolbag. As he stood up to change into his pyjamas, he heard Sojiro call to him from the cafe.

"Hey, Kid, I'm closing up now, don't cause any trouble and make sure you clean up that cup before you go to bed." He informed the teenager.

"Okay!" Ren called back as he pulled his shirt off and carefully folded it. He heard the door open, close and lock as he continued getting changed. When he had finished, he placed his uniform onto the chair at the end of his bed. He sighed to himself as he picked the cup on his desk and wandered downstairs, rolling up his sleeves so he didn't get them wet while washing the cup. It only took less than a minute, but Ren froze as he realised something.

"I don't know where anything is in this kitchen..." He muttered to himself. He bit his lip as he began glancing around, hoping to figure it out somehow. As he continued searching, he noticed a piece of paper taped to a cupboard.

'Cups go in here'

Ren sighed in relief, pulling the cupboard and carefully placing the cup inside.

"Thanks, Sakura-san" He mumbled under his breath as he dried his hands. He hummed to himself quietly while he wandered back upstairs. That was right... He'd have to start working on projects for his music scholarship soon... Ren wondered what he'd have to do to keep his scholarship. Would he have to do recitals for instruments he knew how to play? Would he have to compose his own music? Would he have to sing songs? He really hoped he wouldn't have to sing... His old teacher told him that he had a lovely voice, but Ren strongly disagreed with them. He yawned as he picked up his phone to check the time. 11:00PM.

"I should probably go to bed now..." He yawned again, scratching the back of his head and plugging his phone into the charger. He turned the light off and meandered over to the bed. He pulled the duvet down and snuggled into bed, pulling the duvet back up and sighed tiredly as he drifted off to sleep.

Ren's head throbbed slightly as he opened his eyes to an overwhelming amount of blue once again. He sighed in annoyance, already getting sick of it.

'This is gonna be a regular thing, isn't it?' He bitched internally as he huffed and sat up, twisting his wrists in the uncomfortable chains. He stood up and made his way over to the bars, ever so anxious to hear whatever useless mystical info the big nosed man had to spew this time.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." He greeted Ren with his usual creepy grin.

'How many times is this old coot gonna say that?' The chained boy thought to himself with a sigh. He noticed Caroline glaring at him out of the corner of her eye, so he quickly played it off with a cough.

"I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you." Igor explained in his usual cryptic manner. Ren raised an eyebrow, still being a little bit suspicious of the strange man seated in front of him.

"What are your thoughts? Are you becoming accustomed to this place?" The long nosed man asked.

"Don't be stupid." Ren replied in annoyance, accidentally letting his true thoughts slip out.

"How dare you speak to our master like that?!" Caroline shrieked as she slammed her baton into the bars, near Ren's stomach. The teenager flinched and jumped back.

'Great... I love being beaten up by someone less than half my size...' Ren thought to himself, mourning the loss of whatever dignity he had at this point. As he frowned to himself, he heard Igor's sinister chuckle and glanced up at him again.

"It seems you have nerves of steel." Igor commented in amusement. Caroline huffed quietly to herself, glaring up at Ren again.

"Your rehabilitation determines if ruin can be stopped. Yet, such a feat cannot be done by you alone. But today, you entered a partnership with someone who awoke to the same power, haven't you?" Igor continued, resting his chin on his hand. Ren's eyebrows knitted together as he tried to make sense of Igor's words.

"You mean Yusuke?" He asked cautiously. Igor just let out another cryptic chuckle. Ren felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Involving yourself with other is an important foundation for your recovery. You've done well. That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships. It must not be of frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by moral or faith, lend you their strength. In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well." Igor explained vaguely. Ren couldn't understand what Igor meant by any of that.

'He's like that one weird uncle that suddenly decides he's a qualified therapist when someone mentions depression...' He thought to himself, not particularly impressed with the man sat in front of him. All Ren was really able to take from that speech was 'make friends with other misfits'. Noticing his confusion, the twins turned around to face him.

"Personas are the strength of heart... The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain." Justine explained bluntly.

'Oh, that makes a lot more sense.' Ren reflected as he easily understood Justine's words, raising his eyebrows thoughtfully.

"There are countless people in the city who have talents that weakling like you doesn't. You better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side. We'll change that into power." Caroline added with a haughty smirk.

'Not sure whether to take that as a piece of advice or an insult, but whatever...' Ren wondered exasperatedly.

"Indeed. You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition." Igor warned him with a chuckle. Ren gulped nervously. He really wasn't sure why, but every word that came out of Igor's mouth made every nerve in his body scream 'don't trust him.' Ren just silently nodded in response.

"We have a deal then." Igor stated with a wide grin. As those words left his mouth, Ren could have sworn he saw a red glow and a... card? What was the word it was displaying? He squinted to get a closer look.

'Fool? Like Tarot cards?' Now that he thought about it, there was a card like that when he ate with Yusuke at the diner. He didn't pay it any mind at the time, 'cause he thought that he was just tired. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried his best to recall what Yusuke's card had said. His eyes flicked open as it came to him.

"Emperor." He mumbled to himself. Yeah... That suited Yusuke. Ren smiled at that thought.

"Well, you will understand it all in due time... Continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation." Igor instructed him simply. As he finished his sentence, the bell rang out once more.

"Now, this conversation's over! Get lost, Inmate!" Caroline ordered him with a scowl as Ren's consciousness faded once again.

Ren grumbled sleepily as the sound of his alarm flooded his ears. He flopped his arm onto the shelf and pressed the button to make his phone stop. He sighed tiredly as he tried to work up the motivation to get out of bed. Were they gonna go back to the metaverse today? Ren wanted to learn more about Madarame. From the way he spoke, it seemed that abuse wasn't his only crime. Just what was that old man hiding? With a newfound determination to discover the truth, Ren pushed himself out of bed and began to get dressed. As he struggled against his tie, his phone lit up.

'Oh good, a distraction from this monstrosity.' Ren thought thankfully as he threw his tie onto the bed in disgust. His phone display told him that he had two texts. He hummed a quiet melody to himself as he picked it up and checked the messages. They were from Yusuke.

[Yusuke: Good morning. I hope you doing well.]

[Yusuke: I was wondering if we should return to the Museum today? We did promise Morgana, after all.]

Ren smiled softly as he began typing his response.

[Ren: Hi, good morning to you too. Yeah, I was planning on it. I hope you don't mind, but I can't help but feel there's more to Madarame and I wanna know what.]

He was about to put his phone down and attempt round 2 with his tie, but got an instant reply, so he didn't.

[Yusuke: It's alright, I've actually discovered a new piece of information, but I think it would be best if I told you in person.]

'It must be pretty serious...' Ren thought anxiously as he replied to Yusuke's message.

[Ren: Okay, I understand. I'm still getting ready, so I'll text you when I reach Shibuya, that cool?]

[Yusuke: Very well, I'll see you later.]

Ren sighed happily as he placed his phone down next to his bag before turning around and frowning as he picked up his tie.

"Kid, hurry up already! You're gonna be late!" Sojiro shouted up from the cafe.

"Gimme a minute!" Ren snapped back, accidentally choking himself with his tie.

"You're having trouble with your tie again, aren't you?"

"...No?"

Ren heard Sojiro sigh and walk up the stairs. He just awkwardly stared at the man as he noticed that his hand was trapped in the tie. Sojiro just raised his eyebrows and stepped forward, grabbing the tie and freeing Ren's hand.

"I was doing fine." Ren quickly stated, looking away, out the window.

"Sure you were, kid." Sojiro replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Ren just coughed awkwardly.

"There, that good enough?" Sojiro asked, pulling away. Ren glanced down.

"Yeah, it's perfect. Thanks." Ren quietly thanked him as he fiddled with his hair.

"Good. Now, get your ass downstairs and eat up, you're gonna miss the train if you don't hurry up." Sojiro instructed him as he wandered back down into the cafe.

"Okay." Ren called back as he placed his phone into his bag and slid his bag onto his shoulder before jogging carefully downstairs.

Ren stretched and massaged his shoulder as he left the train. There was an old lady stood behind him that kept on poking him in the shoulder with her umbrella. Ren honestly couldn't tell if she was doing it by accident or not. As he let out a pained sigh, he pulled out his phone and messaged Yusuke.

[Ren: Hey, I've just got off the train. Do you wanna meet up or something?]

He continued rubbing his shoulder as he walked. His phone pinged almost instantly.

[Yusuke: I've been waiting for you at the Buchiko statue.]

Ren's eyes widened as that message. Oh wow, he wasn't expecting that. Although, it was nice knowing that someone cared enough to wait around for him. He smiled softly as he clutched onto his bag and began jogging. He spotted Yusuke's blue hair the moment he exited the station. As he got closer, Yusuke noticed him and waved. Ren cheerfully waved back but accidentally crashed into someone, causing them to fall to the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" He cried out in embarrassment as he bent down to help them up. The person, who was a middle aged man who was balding slightly and wearing a sash across his chest, just chuckled lightly.

"It's quite alright, young man. You were clearly in a hurry." He reassured Ren as he took his hand and let Ren help him back onto his feet.

"I'm really sorry... I'm new here so I'm not really used to the crowds yet..." Ren admitted sheepishly as pink dusted his cheeks.

"That's understandable, the rush hour can be rather overwhelming." The man replied with a peaceful smile.

"You're not injured, are you?" Ren asked cautiously with a worried frown.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you." The man answered.

"Again, I'm terribly sorry, Sir..." Ren apologised once more as he bowed politely.

"Honestly, it's quite alright. Besides, shouldn't you be hurrying off to school?" He dismissed the teenager gently with a sweet smile. Ren flinched at those words.

"Oh right! Take care, Sir!" Ren called out and waved at the man as he jogged over to Yusuke. The man waved back with a polite smile before carrying on his way. Ren could feel heat radiating from his cheek.

"Are you alright?" Yusuke asked him, placing a hand onto Ren's shoulder.

"Ever so slightly mortified, that's all." Ren quickly whispered, pushing up his glasses to hide his flustered face.

"If it makes you feel better, nobody in the crowd cared enough to notice what happened." Yusuke stated bluntly.

"That's... Horrible." Ren responded with a small grimace as the two began their walk to school.

"Well, that's how society is."

"Fair enough..." Ren couldn't help but be disgusted by that news. Although, now that he thought about it, the same could be said for the people back home. After all, plenty of people lived on the street where that incident happened, yet no one did anything to help. He frowned bitterly to himself before noticing Yusuke staring at him.

"Oh! Uh, sorry, were you saying something?" He asked awkwardly.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Yusuke asked anxiously, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just lost in thought. That's all." He quickly refuted, waving his hand dismissively.

"Anyway, what were you saying?" He asked, changing the subject. Yusuke glanced at him suspiciously before just accepting it and continuing.

"I was just saying how well I slept after everything that happened yesterday." He explained, pushing his hair out of his eye.

"Yeah, I was the exact same when I awoke to my Persona..." Ren replied thoughtfully.

"How strange..." Yusuke muttered, placing his hand on his chin.

"Although, to be fair, we did rip off our faces, summon demons and fight other demons." Ren brought up light-heartedly. Yusuke stared at him silently for a few seconds.

"That is a very fair point." Yusuke agreed, nodding thoughtfully. Ren giggled quietly.

"By the way, you mentioned some info you wanted to share?" Ren remembered, glancing over at Yusuke. As if by coincidence, they were passing by Yusuke's home at that exact moment. An elderly man was outside collecting the mail.

"Yes, but perhaps it would better if we discussed it at school." Yusuke whispered discreetly as the man noticed them.

"Yusuke, what are you still doing around here? You left the house ages ago." He asked with a pleasant smile. However, Ren could sense a sinister feeling from him and instantly felt his skin crawl.

"I'm sorry, Sensei. I went to Shibuya Station to meet up with my friend." Yusuke explained briefly. Ren noticed that Yusuke was slightly stiff as he said that, clearly on edge. What exactly could that man do that made Yusuke that uncomfortable? Ren couldn't help but hate the man after learning about what he did to his students.

"Oh, this must be that transfer student you mentioned before." Madarame commented, turning his attention to the raven haired boy stood next to Yusuke. Ren couldn't help but flinch at the sudden mention.

"I-It's very nice to meet you, Sir! My parents are big fans of your work!" He stuttered out nervously, hoping that Madarame wouldn't become suspicious of him.

"Haha! There's no need to be so anxious, I'm quite happy to hear such praise. Now then, you boys better hurry to school, go on." Madarame chuckled gently as he waved at the two boys and headed back inside. As he disappeared from their sight, Ren let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.

"He's quite the actor, isn't he?" He remarked in a low tone. Yusuke just hummed shakily in response.

"Are you sure you wanna continue with this palace thing?" Ren asked cautiously, patting Yusuke's shoulder gently as they continued walking.

"Yes. I need to know the whole truth." Yusuke responded, determination clear in his voice. Ren smiled at him and patted him on the back.

"C'mon, we should probably hurry up already!" Ren suggested as he ran ahead.

"Hey! Don't leave me behind!" Yusuke called out, as he chased after Ren towards the school gates.

The lunch bell rang out, causing the entire class to sigh in relief. Ren stretched his back and felt Yusuke poke him, causing him to glance behind him.

"Do you want to eat lunch in the courtyard? Most of the students eat in the cafeteria." Yusuke suggested softly. Ren froze as he suddenly thought of something. He quickly checked his bag.

"Uhhhh... I don't have any lunch and I don't have any money to buy some..." He awkwardly admitted.

"But, you have a wallet there, isn't there anything in there?" Yusuke asked, tilting his head.

"Nah, I've just got my student travel card, my student ID, my library card, a gift voucher for some clothes store, a lip balm that I'm pretty sure belongs to my Mum, an old bus ticket, annnnnd... A bunch of really old receipts?" He analysed, confused by the contents of his own wallet.

"...Huh. Well, I've got some spare money, I could get you a Yakisoba Pan and a drink?" Yusuke offered kindly, pulling out his wallet.

"No! No... You already bought me food yesterday, it just makes me feel guilty..." Ren turned down Yusuke's offer, looking down at the floor.

"But, you can't just go through the entire day with no food..." Yusuke muttered, worried about Ren's wellbeing. After all, Ren was rather skinny…

"It's fine, don't worry about it. Oh, but I will repay you for yesterday's meal when I earn some money!" Ren promised as he pushed himself out of his chair.

"But-" Yusuke began to protest.

"You had something you wanted to talk about, right? C'mon, let's talk about it in the courtyard." Ren cut him off with a smile before turning and briskly walking out of the classroom. Yusuke couldn't help but frown. That was another thing he had noticed about Ren: He never spoke about his own problems, he always changed the subject. Yusuke had only known Ren for three days, yet he had already noticed all these details about him. Granted, he had a keen eye, thanks to his background in art. He let out a concerned sigh as he followed Ren into the corridor.

The two sat down in the courtyard. There was a shelter connected to the pathways between the main building, practise building and gym. It seemed like a nice and quiet area, with a few benches, a table and some vending machines. Ren glanced around curiously, mostly because he still couldn't get over how large the school was. His school back home wasn't that big, so he wasn't used to this at all.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" He asked, turning to face Yusuke. The artist didn't respond. He was focused on the meatbun in his hands. He carefully split it in two and handed half to Ren.

"I said that I was fine?" Ren protested, not sure whether to be annoyed or flattered.

"And I chose not to listen." Yusuke retorted, shoving the food into Ren's hand. Ren sighed in irritation, yet a grateful smile spread across his face.

"Thanks..." He mumbled under his breath as he nibbled on the meatbun.

"Anyway... About that information..." Yusuke spoke up, swallowing his mouthful. Ren looked at him expectantly, gesturing for him to continue.

"I discovered something extremely concerning about Sensei and his... actions..." He admitted, clearly not wanting to believe it.

"Sounds pretty serious..." Ren replied, unnerved by Yusuke's anxiousness. The blue haired boy took a deep breath and glanced around to make sure no one could hear them before continuing.

"Well... It turns out that there was an extremely talented student that had every single painting of theirs stolen by Madarame Sensei and published under his name. However, whenever this student tried to voice their opinions against Sen... Madarame, he'd just abuse and threaten them. It eventually... It eventually ended with the student committing suicide..." Yusuke explained quietly, having difficulty coming to terms with the story.

"...What the fuck...?" Ren whispered in disbelief. His throat felt as it had been blocked and he had difficulty breathing. Madarame was clearly a lot worse than he had previously imagined. He anxiously tapped his finger against his thigh as he tried to think of something to say.

"We have to make this come to light... Everyone needs to know that's he a terrible person." He eventually spoke up with a determined scowl.

"I'm well aware of that... But, how exactly? It's not like anyone would believe us... We need evidence..." Yusuke sighed in defeat. Ren thought about it carefully for a minute.

"We could punish the lord..." He uttered spitefully under his breath.

"Hm? You mean the other world's Madarame? I suppose that is an option... However, what would the meaning of-" Yusuke replied, slight confused before being interrupted.

"I finally found you..." A familiar voice irritatedly called out. The two boys looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Did you say something?" Ren asked.

"Do you really think I can make my voice sound that high pitched?" Yusuke retorted sarcastically. It was at this point that a black cat with a white snout and paws, blue eyes and a yellow collar padded across the shelter's floor and leapt up onto the table.

"Don't think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you." The cat warned them with an annoyed huff. Ren stared at the cat, wide eyed.

'Words just... came out of that cat's... mouth... Okay...' He thought, trying to convince himself that it shouldn't surprise him compared to all of the other things he's seen.

"That voice... Is that you, Morgana?!" Yusuke exclaimed in surprise. The cat frowned and shook his head in disbelief.

"How dare you, up and leaving me yesterday!" He complained.

"The cat's... talking?" Yusuke commented, having difficulty in making sense of the current situation.

"I am NOT a cat! This is just what happened when I came to this world! It was a lot of trouble finding you two." The creature, that was clearly a cat, protested indignantly.

"Wait... You came to our world?!" Ren asked in shock before gasping as a thought crossed his mind. "Does that mean you have a phone...?" Both the cat and the artist stared at him, unimpressed.

"You don't need one when you're at my level. I did get pretty lost making my escape though..." Morgana replied haughtily, rubbing his face with his paw.

"That aside, why can you talk? You're a cat..." Yusuke commented, placing a hand on his chin. Morgana frowned as he turned to look at the blue haired boy.

"How should I know?!" He yelled in irritation.

"Are you listening to this?" Yusuke sighed as he focused his attention onto Ren.

"Meow?" Ren responded, trying desperately to hide his grin. The other two just stared at him.

"I don't believe now is the time for jokes." Yusuke stated, completely unamused.

'I thought it was funny...' Ren thought to himself, pouting childishly.

"You guys are having a rough time of this, hm? I heard you mention something about evidence." Morgana remarked with a cheeky flick of the tail. Yusuke averted his gaze and grumbled quietly.

"You know, I could tell you a thing or two about what to do about Madarame." Morgana continued with a cocky voice. He turned to look at the black haired boy. "You were pretty close just a moment ago."

"What a condescending attitude... It seems that this creature is definitely Morgana..." Yusuke commented earnestly.

"You were still doubting me?!" Morgana snapped at him with a scowl on his fluffy face.

"Quiet down!" Ren warned him with a whisper. He really didn't want to draw any unneeded attention to himself, and a talking cat? That would draw everyone's attention. As they were talking, they heard a tired sigh from behind them. There was a student and a teacher wandering around the walkways.

"Do we really have to be looking for a cat in a busy time like this...?" The teacher asked, obviously unenthusiastic about the situation.

"I just heard a meow somewhere near here. Didn't you hear it?" The student remarked helpfully.

"Make sure you check every nook and cranny around." The teacher huffed out as the duo walked away towards the main building.

"Meow...? Does that mean that we're the only people who can understand what you're saying?" Ren asked curiously as watched the two people enter the main building.

"Looks like it." Morgana lightly said.

"What on earth is going on...?" Yusuke muttered to himself, scratching the back of his head.

"Anyway, about what you mentioned earlier, were you being serious?" He asked Morgana after composing himself.

"You're quite skeptical, aren't you?" Morgana sighed in exasperation.

"Could you tell us more? But, then again... This probably isn't the best place..." Ren requested, scanning his eyes across the courtyard cautiously. Yusuke considered the possibilities for a few seconds before picking Morgana up by the scruff of his neck. The cat let out an indignant meow.

"The roof should be a good place to talk. Put Morgana in your bag so we can smuggle him up there without being caught." Yusuke instructed Ren seriously.

"Hey! How dare you treat me like-" Morgana protested as he was shoved into Ren's bag.

"Stop squirming, people will get suspicious." Yusuke hissed as he gestured for Ren to follow him. Ren didn't really know what to do, so he just tried to ignore the wriggling against his back and followed close behind Yusuke.

After they had reached the roof and shut the door behind them, Ren carefully placed his bag onto the floor and helped Morgana crawl out of it.

"Don't be so rough with me!" Morgana complained with a hiss, understandably annoyed with the boys.

"Enough about that. You said that you know how we can do something about Madarame, correct?" Yusuke changed the subject, eager to know how to take care of his abuser.

"It has to do with what Ren was talking about earlier. You'll need to attack his museum." Morgana responded with a grin.

"What do you mean?" Yusuke asked, not sure where Morgana was going with this.

"That museum is how Madarame views his home. He doesn't realise what happens in there, but it's deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Thus, if the museum disappears, it would naturally impact the real Madarame." Morgana explained matter-of-factly.

"What'd happen?" Ren asked, wanting more details.

"A Palace is a manifestation of a person's distorted desires. So, if that museum were no more..." Morgana trailed off, hoping that it was beginning to make sense to the boys.

"...His desires would go too." Ren finished for him, beginning to understand.

"Precisely! You sure pick up things fast!" Morgana exclaimed happily.

"Really? That would make Sensei become good?!" Yusuke asked, still having some trouble believing Morgana's words.

"Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart. However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain. Madarame will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he'll confess them himself!" Morgana explained excitedly, swishing his tail side to side.

"Seriously?! That's possible?!" Ren questioned the cat.

"And since the Palace will no longer exist, he'll forget about what we did there as well. Not only will we be able to bring Madarame down, but there won't even be a trace of our involvement." Morgana added, growing more excited as he continued.

"That's amazing! You truly are an incredible cat!" Yusuke exclaimed enthusiastically.

"True, except for the cat part!" Morgana agreed with a cocky smile.

"So? How do we get rid of a palace?" Ren enquired, curious about the required method.

"By stealing the Treasure held within." Morgana stated simply.

"Stealing...?" Yusuke repeated, slightly bemused.

"I'll tell you more once you agree to go ahead with this. It's my most valuable, secret plan, after all. If you want to help me out, I'll gladly teach you. What's your call?" Morgana replied cheekily with a smirk.

"It not like anyone would believe us if we simply told them about Madarame... It seems we have no other choice..." Yusuke muttered to Ren.

"Yeah, you're right..." Ren mumbled back as he considered any other possible options.

"...Good." Morgana commented, smiling at the two teenagers.

"Oh, right. There's one more thing I should tell you." The cat spoke up again, gaining the boys' attention once more.

"If we erase a Palace, there is no doubt that the person's distorted desires will be erased as well. But desires are what we all need in order to survive. The will to sleep, eat, fall in love - those sorts of things." He continued, dragging his sentences.

"What're you getting at?" Ren asked cautiously. He wasn't sure why, but the way Morgana was speaking was making him feel uneasy.

"If all of those yearnings were to vanish, they'd be no different than someone who has shut down entirely. They may even die if they're not given proper care. So..." Morgana explained in hushed tones, looking to the side.

"T-They might die...?!" Yusuke exclaimed in a panic.

"Will you listen to everything I have to say first?" Morgana snapped with an annoyed scowl.

"Would their death be our fault?" Ren whispered in disbelief. His heart was pounding against his chest.

"Aren't you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?" Morgana huffed.

"...What do you think?" Yusuke asked Ren with an extremely conflicted look on his face.

"I don't wanna kill anyone..." Ren murmured anxiously, fiddling with his hair.

"O-Of course not..." Yusuke agreed shakily.

"Sheesh... I come all this way, and this is what I get. It's not like anyone will ever find out." Morgana sighed irritatedly.

"That's not the point!" Yusuke snapped. "If we went around secretly doing whatever we pleased, we'd be no better than Madarame..." He explained with a pained expression. Ren could tell that those words were like venom to Yusuke. They were talking about his father figure, after all…

"Isn't this your only option?" Morgana grilled them. "... I'll come back later. Make sure you've made your decision by the end of school." He informed them as he trotted off, out of their sight.

"What the hell are we supposed to do?" Yusuke let out a distressed sigh.

"I-I don't know..." Ren replied, rubbing his arm nervously. Yusuke tapped his finger against his elbow as he tried to think of a solution.

"Y'know... I can't help but think that maybe we should do it..." Ren cautiously admitted.

"What?!" Yusuke gasped, whipping his head around to face the boy in glasses.

"I-I-I'm just saying it's not definite that it'll kill Madarame... And, I mean... He stole so many people's futures... And who's to say that one student isn't the only one who Madarame drove to suicide..." Ren stuttered, unable to look Yusuke in the eyes. Ren knew that his words sounded cruel, but he couldn't think of any other way to solve the problem. Yusuke feelings were extremely conflicted. He knew that Ren had a point, but Madarame took him in as a child and raised him... Just what was he supposed to do? As Yusuke wanted to apologise for making Ren feel uncomfortable, the bell for their next lesson rang. Ren quickly sprinted through the door and disappeared from Yusuke's sight. The artist gulped nervously, feeling guilty as he made his own way back to class.

The final bell of the day finally rang as the teacher casually wandered out of the room. Ren silently placed his textbooks and pencil case back into his bag. He still felt tense after what happened on the roof.

"Hey." Yusuke quietly called out to him, making him flinch. Ren glanced at him over his shoulder, but didn't say a word.

"I've made my decision." The artist stated. Ren was surprised by that.

"Really?" He whispered, still feeling a little anxious.

"I think we should steal Madarame's Treasure." Yusuke confirmed.

"Are you sure?" Ren asked worriedly, fully turning his body.

"Yes. It's as you said, it's not definite that he'll die and, if it would 'cause him to confess his crimes, I'm willing to take that risk." Yusuke answered with determination. Ren smiled softly at him, amazed by how emotionally strong he was.

"Then, should we get going? Morgana's probably waiting for us." He suggested gently. Yusuke nodded firmly at him as the pair stood up and made their way out of the classroom. As the two walked through the corridor, Hifumi finished gathering up her things. She stepped away from her desk with a tired sigh, reading a text message sent from her mother. Placing her phone back into her bag, she began walking towards the door, only for her foot to hit something. She glanced down to notice a black leather wallet. Humming quietly to herself, she bent down and picked it up, opening it to find out who it belonged to. Thanks to the student ID, she discovered that it belonged to the boy sat next to her in class.

"Amamiya! You dropped your wallet!" She called to him as she hurried out of the classroom doors, but she didn't see him anywhere.

"He's already left." A passing teacher informed her. Hifumi uttered out a quick 'thank you' as she carefully sprinted down the stairs. She spotted Ren and Yusuke in the distance as she exited the school and chased after them, determined to return Ren's wallet. After all, Ren wouldn't be able to get home without it. By the time, she had caught up to them enough to see them clearly, she noticed a small black cat with them. She sighed in relief as she rounded the corner, however all she saw when she reached Yusuke's home was a strange, distorted world and an overwhelmingly golden museum.

After meeting up with Morgana at the school gates and receiving a lecture from him about how to cause a change of heart, the group made their way to the Palace. At this point, they were perched on the roof by the skylight they had claimed as their infiltration route, discussing who should be the leader.

"I nominate you, aren't you flattered?" Morgana spoke up, patting Ren's arm.

"I must agree, I think you would make an excellent leader." Yusuke agreed earnestly, adjusting the mask on his face. Ren was glad he had a mask to hide his blush.

"Alright... I'll do my best." Ren promised, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Good. We're counting on you, Joker!" Morgana exclaimed excitedly, his ear twitching.

"Joker?" Ren repeated, not sure why Morgana had called him that. He'd never been given a nickname before, so he didn't really know how to react.

"Yeah! What kind of Phantom Thief uses their real name during a heist?" Morgana replied with a cocky grin.

"Phantom Thief, huh? Ha... I like it." Ren murmured, smirking deviously.

"That's what I'm talking about! Now, what're our code names? It's your call, Joker." Morgana cheered. Ren stared at Morgana intently for a few seconds.

"How about... Mona?" He suggested.

"As in the Mona Lisa? How artistic..." Yusuke commented with a small smile on his face.

"Heh... Well, I am a work of art... I'll use it." Morgana responded, grinning happily.

"What about you? What do you wanna be called?" Ren asked Yusuke, poking his shoulder. Yusuke placed his hand on his chin as he considered it.

"I'd say... Da Vinchi." He answered.

"Uhhhh... That might be a bit too long... Maybe keep it to one or two syllables?" Ren suggested awkwardly.

"Ah, yes, I see. It would be more convenient for our thief activities..." Yusuke muttered thoughtfully.

"Why don't you just go literal and use 'Fox'?" Morgana proposed.

"Very well, that will do." Yusuke replied bluntly.

"Alright, from here on out, we are Joker, Fox, and Mona. Now, are you ready to make your way through the palace?" Morgana announced. The two boys nodded in agreed.

"So, what's the plan? How do we reach the treasure?" Yusuke asked, looking at the other two for answers.

"Hmmmmmm... What if we just made a huge ruckus and got all the guards attention, then demand to see Madarame? They'd take us right to the treasure!" He suggested, half joking, half serious.

"How stupid are you?! What are you supposed to do if you die, moron?!" Morgana snapped, clearly irritated by newly appointed leader's comment. Ren tapped his chin thoughtfully for a few seconds before grinning deviously.

"I shall give God the finger and then backflip into hell." He stated triumphantly. Morgana just smacked him over the head. Yusuke seemed to be pretending to not notice.

"Take this seriously!" He yapped furiously.

"Alright, alright. We'll just explore the Palace and investigate anything that seems like it could be useful. That better?" Ren suggested, rubbing his head.

"Much better." Morgana huffed, pouting slightly.

"Well then, shall we get going?" Yusuke spoke up, opening the skylight in preparation.

"Yeah, let's go." Ren answered with a confident smirk as the three jumped down into the Palace and began their infiltration.

Their exploration so far had gone by rather smoothly, minus an incident after Morgana touched a vase that he probably shouldn't have. That was... interesting. They had also discovered that Ren had the ability to summon multiple Personas after a shadow decided to join him during a negotiation. After exploring and making their way through the Palace for a couple of hours, the small group had reached a dead end. There was a courtyard area and an extremely large door. However, there was no way for the thieves to reach it, due to electrical barriers littering the entire courtyard. Even after searching for ages, none of the group found anything to open the door. All they found was a sign saying that the door could only be opened from the inside.

"Welp, it seems that we may be slightly screwed." Ren huffed nonchalantly, placing his hands on his hips.

"Fox, you've been stared at that door ever since we got here, is there something bothering you?" Morgana asked, glancing up at the kitsune mask wearing boy.

"It's just... The design of this door... It resembles a door in my home." Yusuke muttered suspiciously, analysing the door very carefully.

"Oh, really...? Could you tell us more about this door?" Morgana pushed for more details. The two boys peered at each other, unsure of where Morgana was going with this.

"It's the door to one of Sensei's room. I'm not sure what's in there, only Sensei is allowed to go in there. There's a huge lock on it." Yusuke explained, confused about why Morgana wanted to know.

"I see, I see... I know how to open the door now." Morgana murmured thoughtfully, nodding his head.

"Really...? How?" Ren asked, not following Morgana's train of thought at all.

"A Palace is the manifestation of a person's cognition. So, if we need to change something in the palace, we need to change the target's cognition." Morgana explained slowly with a grin.

"Okay... I think I understand, but how exactly do we need to change his cognition to get the door open?" Ren enquired quietly, staring at the door.

"Madarame's cognition sees this door as unopenable, so all we need to do is open that door in the real world and have him see it." Morgana expanded on the previous explanation. Ren nodded understandingly, while Yusuke frowned slightly.

"How exactly will we get the door open? Sen... Madarame is the only who has the key." Yusuke voiced his concerns.

"Hmph, don't underestimate a Phantom Thief. It's simple, really: You distract Madarame while I pick the lock and Joker will wait in the Palace for the door to open and then find a security office to make sure the door stays open. Got it?" Morgana explained his plan with a cocky smirk. Yusuke sighed as he readjusted his tail.

"Alright, it sounds good." He agreed eventually.

"Okay, so should we head back and prepare?" Ren suggested, pulling on his gloves.

"Yeah, but let's take a quick break in the safe room first, regain out stamina, heal up a little bit." Morgana responded, pointing towards the nearby safe room.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. My legs are killing me..." Ren agreed as the trio began walking towards the room in question.

The small group sat in the safe room for a few minutes, nursing their wounds and massaging their aching limbs. As they quietly chatted and planned their operation to open the door, they heard a large amount of noise from outside the room. Even though, Ren knew that the shadows wouldn't be able to enter the room, he still felt on edge.

"Are the shadows usually like this?" Yusuke quietly asked, watching the door carefully with a hand on his katana.

"No..." Morgana muttered as he leapt down from the table. "I'm gonna go scout around and see what exactly is going on." He continued as he slid through the door. Ren sighed shakily and began anxiously tapping his foot on the floor.

"Do you suppose they know we're here?" Yusuke asked, breaking the silence. Ren bit his lip as he heard those words.

"I'd rather not think of that right now..." Ren mumbled, twirling his hair around his finger.

"My apologies." Yusuke uttered quickly, before turning his attention to the room to give Ren a quiet moment to himself. He formed a frame with his hands as he analysed the room, probably searching for some artistic inspiration. While waiting for Morgana to return, Ren decided to make a list of items they would need for their next venture into the palace. As Ren finished up his list, Morgana burst through the door.

"This is bad!" He exclaimed in a panic, his tail fuzzed up.

"What's wrong?!" Ren asked worriedly, flinching at the sudden noise.

"Some girl managed to find her way into the metaverse, and the shadows have got her!" He yelled urgently.

"What?!" Yusuke gasped, grabbing his katana in preparation.

"Where is she?!" Ren grilled Morgana, leaping to his feet and brandishing his dagger.

"Follow me! I'll lead the way!" Morgana answered, already halfway out the door. Joker and Fox followed close behind, desperate to save whoever the shadows had captured.

"What is this?! Let go of me!" The girl screamed as the shadows pinned her to the wall.

"Silence, trespasser!" The shadow snarled at her, slamming its hand into her stomach, causing her to let out a pained cough.

"Have we been given the orders yet?" The second shadow asked, glancing back at the third one.

"You know the rules; all trespassers are to be executed." The third shadow grunted, seemingly uninterested in the situation in front of him.

"Executed?!" The girl squeaked as terror enveloped her entire being. She gasped as the shadow closest to her held a blade up to her neck and squeezed her eyes shut. Before the shadow had a chance to push the blade into her neck, a knife came zooming towards it and stabbed into its hand. The shadow howled in pain as it dropped both the knife and the girl onto the ground.

"Who's ther-" The third shadow didn't even a chance to finish it's question as a cutlass sliced through its head. A masked trio jumped down from a nearby display and pointed their weapons at the remaining two shadows, however the humans froze as they noticed the girl.

"Togo-san?!" The black-and-white masked boy exclaimed in disbelief.

"What on earth are you doing here?!" The kitsune masked boy asked in shock, lowering his katana slightly.

"Don't let your guard down!" The cat warned him.

"Those voices... Amamiya-san?! Kitagawa-kun?! And a monster cat?!" Hifumi cried out in surprise.

"I'm nooooot!" Morgana protested indignantly.

"It's those damn thieves again!" The second shadow growled as it rushed towards the group. Ren gracefully dodged it's attack with a backflip and ran past it to grab his dagger from the other shadow's hand, causing it to yelp aggressively.

"Stay behind me!" Ren ordered Hifumi as he blocked the shadow's attack. Hifumi just nodded, not knowing what else to do. Yusuke made quick work of the shadow he was fighting by stabbing his katana into its stomach and slicing it in half.

"Joker!" He yelled out as he rushed over, Morgana following close behind.

"I'm on it! Arsene!" Ren hollered with a concentrated frown as Arsene appeared at his side and slammed his foot through the shadow with a dramatic flourish. After the three shadows had been annihilated, the trio of thieves carefully scanned the area to make sure they would not be ambushed by another wave of enemies.

"What on earth is going on?! What is this place?! What's with those outfits?!" Hifumi asked hysterically as she scrambled onto her feet.

"We'll explain later! What're you doing here?!" Ren asked her, grasping her shoulder lightly.

"I-I just found your wallet on the floor a-at school and followed after you to give it back, and the next thing I knew I was here and those things were grabbing me!" She explained frantically, as she pulled Ren's wallet out of her pocket.

"O-Oh, thank you." Ren awkwardly replied as he took his wallet from her.

"Now's not the time for that! We need to get her out of here now!" Morgana interrupted with a scowl.

"R-Right, let's get moving." Yusuke agreed. The trio moved into a formation that placed Hifumi in the middle, protecting her from all possible directions. Their escape was going rather smoothly, they had almost reached the exit, when:

"You degenerates again!" An all too familiar voice snarled from behind as shadows blocked their way.

"Dammit!" Ren hissed under his breath.

"We were just leaving." Morgana quipped snarkily as they turned to face the source of the voice: Madarame.

"Madarame..." Yusuke let out a hostile growl. Madarame simply looked down on him snobbishly.

"Oh, I see you've brought another rat with you today..." Madarame commented, sticking his nose up at the group before widening his eyes in surprise.

"Oh wait, I recognise you... You're Hifumi Togo, the Venus of Shogi, correct?" He recollected, focusing his attention of the graceful girl stood behind the two boys. Hifumi flinched at the sudden mention of her name.

"H-How do you know who I am?" She asked cautiously as Yusuke placed an arm in front of her, protecting her from his former teacher.

"Why, you're all over magazines and TV! You've won many Shogi tournaments!" The old man cheered sarcastically. Hifumi felt her heart pounding against her chest as Madarame chuckled.

"Quite pathetic, really..." He snickered, placing a hand over his mouth.

"What...?" Hifumi whispered, not liking where this was going.

"Yes... Your talent doesn't truly belong to you... You're simply a tool. That's all." Madarame continued, clearly enjoying toying with the girl's emotions.

"Don't listen to him." Yusuke warned her in a low tone, but Hifumi was too panicked to notice.

"Did you really believe that you were special? How naive! You are simply a tool for others to earn money. Be it your mother, TV presenters, companies: they get you to do all the work, and then they make all the profit." The shadow continued, twisting the knife.

"Sh-Shut up!" Hifumi yelled out desperately. The golden eyed man grinned sadistically as he delivered the final blow:

"You'll be thrown away in no time."

Hifumi squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to hold back the tears.

"I know that already..." She whispered as she crouched down onto the floor.

"Is that what you want?" Ren asked her, breaking the silence. Hifumi looked up at him with wet eyes.

"Of course not!" She denied tearfully.

"Then, why are you enduring with it?" Ren persisted, staring down at her seriously. Hifumi's eyes widened at his question. It was at that point that it clicked in her mind.

"You're right... Why AM I enduring it? It's stupid..." She muttered as she pushed herself back onto her feet.

"What's this. The tool trying to fight back? What a waste of time!" Madarame sneered.

"Keep your opinions to yourself. I don't give a damn what you think." Hifumi spat out spitefully.

"What?!" Madarame shouted with an offended scowl.

"I'm not some useless tool... You think you can insult me whenever you please? Ha, you're the one who's pathetic!" She shrieked, pointing at Madarame accusingly, smirking at his angered expression. It was at this point that a surge of pain rushed through her head.

"Have you finally opened your eyes?" A mystical voice echoed throughout her head. Hifumi screamed out in pain as she clutched her head.

"Now that you've gained the resolve to fight back, it is time to plan the counterstrike. Now then, never concede defeat ever again. Devise the perfect strategy! Strike back against those who wronged you! Overwhelm your enemies! Continue fighting until certain victory is within your grasp!" The voice commanded her dramatically. Hifumi smiled deviously as it all became clear.

"Understood... If society is a kingdom under the attack of sadistic scumbags like this... Well then, I will gladly become the tactician and knight that protects it!" She declared proudly as a white mask with red sakura patterns appeared on her face.

"Come to me... Izanami!" Hifumi ordered as she ripped the mask off her face with a single powerful swipe. Blue flames engulfed her as everyone else watched. Morgana smirked as the prospect of another Persona user. Ren and Yusuke smiled proudly at the sight of Hifumi standing up for herself. Whereas, Madarame watched in fear, dreading what another Persona user could do to him. 

After the flames had dissipated, Hifumi displayed her new thief outfit. She wore a black kimono style jacket with red sakura patterns across the right arm and a white belt around her waist, black skin tight battle trousers and black knee high boots with silver on the toes and heels, and simple white gloves. She pridefully brandished a naginata as her Persona appeared behind her. Izanami had grey skin, mostly covered by a partially ripped red and pink kimono. Her ebony hair billowed wildly behind her while the power surged from her summoner. And while her entire face was hidden by a mirror like mask, her burning red eyes glared at her target menacingly.

"Destroy them, Izanami! Megido!" Hifumi screeched, pointing at her requested targets. Izanami rushed towards them, instantly annihilating them with a single blast. Hifumi rushed into battle herself, slicing her naginata straight through two shadows at once.

"Heh, nice moves!" Ren complimented with an amazed grin.

"Can you keep up?" Hifumi challenged him with a cocky smirk.

"Challenge accepted." Ren chuckled as he twirled his dagger playfully in his hand before diving into the action himself, plunging his foot straight into a shadows face. By the time he had taken care of his group of shadows, everyone else had finished their personal battles as well.

"Dammit..." Yusuke growled as he pushed his katana back into its sheath. Ren turned around to notice what had annoyed Yusuke so much: Madarame had ran away. The leader clicked his tongue in irritation but quickly forgot about it as he heard Hifumi collapsed onto the floor.

"What... the hell...?" She gasped out in exhaustion. Stabbing her naginata into the ground as leverage to push herself up.

"It's alright, this is normal after you awaken to your persona." Morgana comforted her, gently tapping her arm with his paw.

"The most important thing right now is to get you out of here so you can get some rest." Yusuke added as he crouched down and slid Hifumi's arm over his shoulder.

"Yeah, don't worry, we'll explain everything once we've escaped, okay?" Ren tacked on as he copied Yusuke's movements. Hifumi didn't have the energy to argue, so she simply nodded her head and let the boys pick her up.

After they had escaped from the palace and found a quiet playground to talk, Morgana and the boys explained the entire situation to Hifumi: the metaverse, palaces, Madarame's crimes, changing hearts, and their plan to open the door.

"I see... I never realised that Madarame was such a despicable man..." She muttered in disbelief as she gently pushed herself on the swing she was sat on.

"Neither did I... That's why I need to make him confess." Yusuke admitted, fidgeting his thumbs.

"What about you? Why are you fighting back? I'd heard something about a criminal record..." Hifumi asked, turning her attention to Ren. The raven haired boy grimaced at those words.

"It's... a long story... I'll explain it some other time." He awkwardly mumbled in response. Hifumi took the hint.

"I see... By the way, you've given me so much information, but you haven't told me your name. What should I call you?" Hifumi changed the subject, sparing Ren any uncomfort and instead shifting the focus onto the cat sat in Ren's bag.

"My name is Morgana!" Morgana declared with a prideful smile.

"What a lovely name!" Hifumi exclaimed sweetly as she scratched Morgana's chin.

"It is, isn't it?" The cat purred happily.

"By the way, Togo-san... Why do you feel the need to rebel? You always seemed to be doing so well in school and society in general..." Yusuke commented, not really understanding the girl's reasoning. Hifumi sighed before composing herself.

"My mother forced me into show business, even though I've never been interested in it at all. I always wanted to pursue a career in Shogi because I always enjoyed the matches I played with my father as child, however my mother decided to morph my image into that of an idol and shoved me into the limelight. I feel like none of my decisions have any meaning anymore..." She explained in a dejected tone.

'I see... Her mother's that kind of person...' Ren thought to himself.

"But, I feel differently now. I've decided that I am going to join the Phantom Thieves, and you cannot dissuade me." She stated firmly with a determined grin. The trio glanced at each other in surprise before chuckling softly.

"Heh... Welcome aboard." Ren greeted her, extending his hand.

"I look forward to working with you." Hifumi cheerfully responded, grasping Ren's hand and shaking it. A red glow appeared above her head through Ren's glasses. The Star Arcana.

'It suits her perfectly.' Ren thought to himself as he smiled gently at her.

"I've been meaning to mention, I'll be staying in this world from now on, since I can't communicate with you guys from the metaverse. So, I'll need somewhere to stay." Morgana announced, looking at the three teenagers expectantly.

"I'm afraid Sensei isn't too fond of animals, so staying with me wouldn't be a wise choice." Yusuke quickly refuted.

"My father's rather ill, so I don't think it would be the best idea if you stayed at my home..." Hifumi spoke up with a regretful tone.

"Well then, it seems the duty falls to you! You should feel honoured!" Morgana giggled as he looked at Ren.

'Sojiro's gonna kill me...' Ren lamented inwardly, but agreed anyway. He was pulled out of those thoughts by Hifumi pushing her phone forward towards his. As he realised what she was trying to doing, he quickly pressed a few buttons on his phone and waited for the beep that informed them that their contact info had been successfully shared.

"It's starting to get rather dark, isn't it?" Yusuke remarked, glancing up at the sky which was now a vibrant orange.

"I should probably be heading home now..." Ren muttered as he stood up, the swing clattering slightly as he did.

"Wait! Hifumi's a Phantom Thief now, so what should her code name be?" Morgana butting in, excited to finish the conversation on a high note. The two boys thought carefully for a few seconds before being distracted by Hifumi chuckling. They looked at her and noticed the noble smile on her face as she confidently declared,

"Call me Knight."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi... I know this chapter is ridiculously late, and I am so sorry about that. I don't really have any excuses, I've just had a lot of personal problems since New Years and I've been almost constantly stressed out. Things calmed down for a little while and I managed to finally finish this.  
> But, yeah, I have made a start on Chapter 5, but stuff is gonna start happening again for on Saturday, so I really can't guarantee it being finished any time soon.  
> So, yeah, I'm really, really sorry for keeping you all waiting, I saw on tumblr that a couple of people were getting irritated by the lack of updates, so I'm sorry and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Ren grumbled anxiously to himself as he stood outside of Leblanc. He knew damn well that Sojiro was not gonna be happy about him bringing a cat, so the idea of him finding out terrified him.

"Stay in the bag." He whispered to Morgana in a commanding voice. He composed himself with a deep breath, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. Sojiro was stood in usual position behind the counter and a familiar woman with blue hair was sat at one of the booths.

'Okay... Act natural.' Ren thought to himself as he awkwardly entered the cafe, trying his best to hide his anxiety.

"Ah, you're back." Sojiro commented nonchalantly, scrubbing a coffee cup. This caused the woman, dressed in a blue punk dress and a black leather jacket, to turn around.

"Oh, it's you. How's your head?" She asked with a smile.

"It's doing much better, thank you Doctor Takemi." Ren replied blandly, flashing a quick, grateful smile at her.

"That's good to hear, but I would still recommend that you take it easy for the next few days. By the way, have you been eating properly?" Takemi advised him, tilting her head curiously. That question caused Ren to recall the lecture Yusuke gave him at lunch.

"Um... Yeah, sure I have..." He awkwardly coughed in response as he shuffled past her.

"Hey, are we there yet?!" Morgana asked impatiently from inside Ren's school bag. Ren froze for a second, as he glanced over at Sojiro.

"Hmmm..." He hummed suspiciously, staring at Ren.

'Shitshitshitshitshit' Ren's mind went into overload as he tried to avoid Sojiro's suspicion.

"I-I've gotta arrange my textbooks!" He blurted out as he awkwardly jogged upstairs, hoping that Sojiro believed that lackluster excuse. As Sojiro was about to question him, Takemi stood up.

"Thank you for the coffee, I should be going now." She stated as she placed her tip on the counter.

"Thanks for coming, Doctor" Sojiro replied as Takemi left the cafe. He carefully picked up the coins she left and placed them into the cash register before glancing over at the stairs with a thoughtful glare.

Ren glanced behind him before gently placing his bag onto the bed and unzipping it, letting Morgana leap out and stretch. The cat scanned his eyes around the room with a confused expression.

"What the...?! What is this place?!" He exclaimed in surprise. "Is this some kind of abandoned house?!" He asked, turning his attention to the raven haired boy who was shyly fiddling with his glasses. As he was about to answer, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Panicked, he quickly grabbed his duvet and threw it over the cat.

"Hey, are you-" Sojiro began to ask as he entered the attic, however he cut himself off as he noticed a small lump under the duvet. He glared suspiciously at Ren, stomping over to the bed and flinging the duvet to the side. Morgana clutched his head with his paws as he tried his best to stay hidden despite being clearly visible.

"I was wondering why I heard meowing... What did you bring it here for?!" He groaned with a scowl.

"I-It was abandoned..." Ren mumbled quietly, glancing down at the floor.

"That's... That's a shame..." Sojiro sighed, rubbing his neck. He looked at the worried cat before sighing again and looking back at Ren.

"Look, this place is a restaurant. Animals are a no-go..." He explained seriously yet softly. Ren cleared his throat anxiously and slid his hands into his pockets.

"Though I guess you might stay on good behavior if you've got a pet to take care of..." The bearded man muttered thoughtfully, placing his hand on his chin.

"Fine... But keep it quiet when we're open for business. And don't let it roam around downstairs, or I'll toss it out. Oh, and I'm not gonna take care of it. That's all on you." He eventually stated. Ren couldn't stop the elated grin that made its way onto his face. Sojiro just shook his head with a small smile as he walked back down the stairs.

"Was that the ruler of this place?" Morgana asked the raven haired boy.

"Basically..." Ren murmured.

"He seemed pretty understanding for someone who keeps you cramped up in this dump. Then again, I suppose to normal people I just sound like a meowing cat." Morgana commented. As Ren giggled quietly, Sojiro entered the attic again, carrying a plate of fish.

"Seriously... It had to keep calling out in that cute little voice..." He huffed as he placed the plate down in front of Morgana.

"Make sure you wash the dish." He ordered Ren, who just nodded.

"By the way... Have you decided on a name?" He asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, uh, Morgana." Ren informed him.

"Morgana, huh? Like the sorceress from Arthurian legend?" Sojiro commented, slightly surprised.

"Well, I mean... Sorceress is another word for witch, and y'know witches have black cats?" Ren awkwardly reasoned, hoping Sojiro would believe that he actually came up with the name, but didn't think he was weird. Luckily for him, the bearded man nodded thoughtfully.

"I was hoping I'd get to name it..." He admitted bashfully before quickly exiting the attic.

"Looks like the chief likes me better than you." Morgana bragged with a smirk.

"Haha, good for you." Ren sarcastically retorted, fiddling with his hair.

"Well, to be honest, this place is heaven compared to Madarame's cells." Morgana cheerfully commented with a grateful smile. Ren smiled back at Morgana as he sat down onto the bed. Morgana's smile fell as he began to speak again.

"... Remember how you guys asked me before about what I am? To be honest... I don't remember anything about my birth." He admitted sadly.

"Sooo, you've got amnesia?" Ren asked, surprised by Morgana's revelation.

"I think the Metaverse's distortions made me lose both my memories and my true form." The cat theorized.

"Is that form human?" The glasses wearing boy asked.

"It has to be!" Morgana snapped. "I mean, why else would a cat be able to talk like this? There's no other possible explanation. There's no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self. I'm sure that once they're purged, I'll finally be able to get that self back. And I have a pretty good idea on how to do it too. That's why I was in the museum in the first place." He explained, looking down with a troubled expression, only to be distracted by his stomach growling.

"Come to think of it, I didn't get hungry over in that world..." He remarked curiously as he made his way over to the plate and began happily munching on the fish. When he had finished the plate, he contentedly washed his paws and face before turning to face Ren again.

"Let me make myself clear: Your taking care of me won't be for nothing. It'll be give and take. Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools." He informed him with a cocky smirk.

"What're those?" Ren asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Whoa, I can't tell you more unless we settle on a deal. In exchange for keeping me here, I'll teach you about these tools. How does that sound?" The cat suggested, looking at Ren expectantly.

"Let's do this." Ren answered with a grin.

"I like that answer." Morgana chuckled. He extended his paw towards Ren who happily took it into his hand and shook it.

"Hehe... Looks like it's a deal." Morgana giggled, smirking at Ren who was smirking back at him. As he said those words, Ren saw yet another card, this one floating over Morgana's head. The Magician Arcana. Ren let out a single breathy laugh at the sight.

"By the way, the power you used in the Palace was seriously amazing. The stronger that power gets, the more reliable it'll be as a trump card." The cat exclaimed, staring at Ren with wonder filled eyes. Ren bashfully twirled his hair with his fingers.

"All right, I'm gonna stick with you wherever you go from today on. Personas are the strength born from one's heart. Depending on what kind of life experience you gain, I bet it'll affect that power as well! And if you become acquainted with capable people, you might learn various, useful skills too... This is all part of our deal, got it? I expect great things from you. Don't let me down, okay?" Morgana explained with an excited smirk. Ren couldn't help but smile back at him.

As Ren prepared to go to bed, his phone buzzed from the shelf. It was a text from Hifumi.

[Hifumi: Thank you for everything today.]

[Hifumi: You saved me, and I didn't even thank you properly.]

[Ren: It's fine, don't worry about it. Besides, Yusuke and Morgana saved you too.]

[Hifumi: That's very true. I need to thank Yusuke too. Although, could you pass my message to Morgana for me, please?]

[Hifumi: Seriously, though. Thank you so much.]

[Hifumi: See you tomorrow.]

[Ren: See ya tomorrow.]

Ren smiled softly at his phone screen as Morgana giggled cheerfully.

"Naturally. It's every gentleman's duty to save any damsels in distress, after all." He bragged with a smug grin. Ren couldn't help but chuckle at Morgana's confidence and gently patted his head. He stretched as he stood up and organised his school bag, ready for tomorrow. After preparing everything, he made his way back to his bed and plugged his phone onto charge. He waited for Morgana to curl up comfortably on the bed before turning the light off and snuggling down under the duvet, quickly falling asleep.

The morning was just the usual routine that Ren had already slipped into: wake up, get dressed, fight against the abomination known as a tie, eat breakfast, catch the train, walk to school. The only new additions to his schedule were to feed Morgana and make sure he was in his bag before he left for school. He was hoping to bump into Yusuke or Hifumi on his way to school, since they hadn't discussed their plan to open the door in the Palace. Sure, they had plenty of time to discuss it during the school day, but discussing it earlier would give him some peace of mind. When he entered the classroom, he noticed that Hifumi was already there. Yusuke, however, was not.

"Morning, Hifumi." Ren greeted her as he sat down in his seat, slipping Morgana out of his bag and into his desk.

"Good morning, Ren" Hifumi replied with a graceful smile. It felt strange to be on a first name basis with someone he had only met a few days ago, but they had shared a near death experience, so it just seemed right to Ren.

"How are you doing after yesterday?" He asked her, placing his pencil case and textbooks onto his desk.

"I'm quite alright, thank you. I was exhausted after awakening to my Persona, but I must say that last night was the best night's sleep I've ever had." Hifumi answered, chuckling lightly.

"I know, right? It's awesome, I wish I could sleep that well every night..." Ren giggled in response. Hifumi laughed quietly with him before noticing Morgana silently watching them from his hiding place.

"And good morning to you too, Morgana." She greeted him as she reached over and gently patted his head. Morgana didn't say anything, he just purred contentedly and leaned into Hifumi's hand. As they continued chatting while waiting for homeroom to start, Yusuke finally stepped through the classroom door.

"Mornin' Yusuke!" Ren greeted him with a cheerful wave.

"Yes, good morning, Yusuke!" Hifumi echoed with a sweet smile.

"Good morning." Yusuke responded blandly, as he shuffled past them to his desk.

'That's weird... He seems kinda... tense...' Ren thought as he turned around in his chair to look at the artist. Hifumi and Ren shared a quick confused glance before turning their attention back to the blue haired boy.

"Are you alright?" Hifumi cautiously asked him, twirling her hair around her index finger.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine, just tired. Why do you ask?" Yusuke responded with a bemused expression.

"No reason...?" Ren replied, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Something didn't feel quite right, but he couldn't figure out what. Yusuke just shook it off and slid his bag off of his shoulder, causing his shirt to rise a little, revealing a patch of darkened skin for a second. This caught Ren's attention.

"Hey, Yusuke-"

"Alright, alright, I know I'm a lil bit late, so let's just get this started already." Ren was interrupted by Matsunaga hurriedly entering the room with a cup of coffee in his hand and a group of folders tucked under his arm. Ren just frowned and turned back around in his chair, reminding himself to confront Yusuke during break.

Ren stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles as the lunch bell rang out.

"Alright, kiddos, go get some food. And don't forget you're in the Science Lan next session! I don't wanna see any morons in here after lunch, got it?!" Matsunaga announced as he skipped through the door. Ren turned around to face his teammates.

"Hey, I think we need to discuss our plan for today." He stated seriously.

"I agree, it's important to form a strategy before the battle begins." Hifumi added, pulling a neatly tied bento out from her desk.

"Yup! Besides, we need to eat to build up strength for the mission!" Morgana butted in with a smirk. Yusuke glanced up at Ren with a tired expression.

"Do you even actually have lunch today?" He asked the raven haired boy, a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"I... don't. But! I do have some money to buy some this time!" Ren awkwardly replied with a proud yet sheepish grin.

"Congratulations. You're learning." Yusuke muttered in response as he slipped his bento out of his schoolbag.

"I don't appreciate that tone..." Ren pouted childishly.

"Sorry, mother."

"Oi..."

Ren couldn't help but grin at the banter. It was the first time in quite a while that he genuinely felt a connection with someone. Sure, he had friends back in Inaba, but they all turned on him the moment he was arrested. But, Yusuke genuinely seemed to care about him and he actually listened to him when he explained what happened. Everyone he knew, including his parents, called him a liar when he explained that incident. But, Yusuke listened. Yusuke believed him.

"By the way, Ama- Uh, um... Ren-kun... Do you know the way to the school store yet? If not, do you want me to take you there?" Hifumi piped up, tucking her sleek hair behind her ear. Hifumi... Sure, Ren didn't really know her too well yet, but he could still sense a connection with her. After all, she was the only one who bothered to talk to him while everyone else was spreading rumours about him. Not to mention, when he dropped his wallet, she went out of her way to return it. It was obvious to Ren that she was a wonderful girl, and he was excited to get to know her better.

"Oh! Uhhhhh... No... I don't know where it is yet..." He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How the hell don't you know?! You go to this school, right?!" Morgana snapped in disbelief.

"Yeah, for like, two, three days! Have you seen how big this place is?! How the hell am I supposed to know my way around already?!" Ren retorted with a scowl.

"Come on, calm down. Ren-kun, let's go to the store, and you two can wait for us, okay?" Hifumi calmed the boy and his cat, uh, not a cat, with a soothing voice. She gently grabbed onto Ren's arm and pulled him up, out of his chair.

"Hey! Wait! We haven't chosen a location! Where are we meeting up?" Morgana hurriedly voiced his concerns.

"This conversation requires privacy, yes? Then, how about the roof? It's rare for anyone to go up there." Yusuke suggested as he pushed himself up from his desk.

"Yeah, that sounds good. So, uhhhhh... See you in, like, five minutes?" Ren agreed with a soft smile.

"Very well. Come along, Morgana." Yusuke replied, patting his thigh lightly.

"Do I look like a dog to you?!" The not cat growled in irritation. The dark haired duo couldn't help but laugh at the sight as the artist and the animal left the classroom.

"Well, c'mon Ren-kun, let's get you some lunch." Hifumi offered, gracefully walking over to the door. Ren smiled softly to himself before jogging after the shogi player.

"Sounds good."

After buying himself a yakisoba pan and a bottle of orange juice, Ren followed Hifumi up all the flights of stairs until she pushed open the door to the roof. She gestured with her head for Ren to go first.

"Thank you." He mumbled politely as he shuffled past her onto the roof. Ren scanned his eyes across the rooftop. It was very spacious, as expected of such a large building. Some large machine looking objects that Ren assumed were some sort of generators or water tanks, were positioned on the far side of the roof. There were also some large flowerbeds, although the majority of them were empty. Yusuke had perched himself on the edge of one of the flowerbeds near the generators with Morgana curled up next to him. Noticing his two friends approaching him, the blue haired boy waved at them while tiredly munching on some rice.

"I gotta say, this roof is actually quite nice. Really quiet. Plus, I bet it'd look really nice with flowers into those flowers bed." Ren commented as he sat down next to Morgana and gently patted his head.

"Yes, well, technically, students aren't allowed on the roof, so there's rarely anyone up here." Yusuke informed him, shovelling another heap of rice into his mouth as Hifumi placed herself next to Ren.

"And yet you suggested that we meet up here! Ooh, you rebel!" Ren exclaimed in mock surprise, dramatically slapping his hands against his cheeks.

"This coming from the infamous delinquent?" Yusuke responded sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. Ren placed his hand onto his chest and forced an overly dramatic scowl on his face.

"You wound me, sir." He announced, before turning around to face Hifumi.

"Are you sure that this is the company you wanna keep? A rule breaker, a delinquent and cat/not a cat creature?" He enquired light-heartedly with a smirk.

"Who says that I don't break rules too?" She retorted before placing an egg roll into her mouth.

"Oho?"

"Yeah, sometimes, when I'm wearing sneakers... I don't tie the laces, I just tuck them into my shoe." She announced jokingly with a proud smirk.

"Such a rebel!" Ren gasped in shock, playing around of course. He felt a slight twinge in his chest. How long had it been since he had joked around with friends like this? It felt like forever... He glanced over at Yusuke who was shaking his head and had an exasperated smile on his face.

"Uh, hello? Are we actually gonna start this meeting? Or are we just gonna keep goofing around?" Morgana butted in, growing impatient.

"R-Right. So, uh, what's the plan? We need to open that door and we need Madarame to see it... But how?" Ren awkwardly started their main point of conversation.

"Well, we'll need someone to go to the palace, since we need the door to stay open." Morgana stated seriously.

"Huh?"

"Think about it. His cognition is that the door can never be opened, and if we open it, it may close again. Plus, that sign in the palace said that it could only be opened from the inside, which means there's gotta be some sort of control system for that door. We need to find that control system and force that door to stay open." The cat explained slowly, checking to make sure that he had all of the teenagers' attention.

"Okay, that makes sense... So, we need someone to be a distraction, someone to unlock the door in the real world, and someone to keep the door open in the palace." Ren muttered thoughtfully, taking a bite of his yakisoba pan.

"I have an idea for a distraction, however I will require someone else to join me for it to work." Yusuke proclaimed.

"What is it?" Hifumi enquired, taking a sip of her drink.

"Well, I'll probably be able to distract Madarame-Sen... Madarame if I act as if I'm working on a new art piece, but I think it'll be easier to make him believe it if I have someone acting as a model." The artist explained, his voice wavering slightly.

"How long would he need to distracted for?" Morgana pressed, furrowing his brow.

"Well, school finishes at 3:00PM, it takes about 15 minutes to walk home and Madarame will get home at around 3:30PM... Not to mention, it will take a while to set all of my art equipment up... I'm honestly not sure, it would depend on how long it take to unlock the door..." Yusuke analysed with a troubled frown, placing his hand on his chin.

"Okay then... Any of you know how to pick a lock?" The cat continued, looking at the teenagers' expectantly. They glanced at each other in awkward silence.

"Ugh, seriously?! God, you're all such amateurs! Fine! I guess I'll have to do it myself!" Morgana nagged with a huff.

"You know how to pick a lock?" Hifumi asked, widening her eyes in surprise.

"Of course, it's a basic skill for any good phantom thief, after all." Morgana bragged with a smirk.

'He sure likes stroking his own ego...' Ren thought to himself, taking a swig of his orange juice.

"You got something you wanna say?" Morgana hissed, glaring at the fluffy haired boy.

"Nothing at all." Ren mumbled as he averted his gaze, hiding his panic.

"So, we just need someone to be Yusuke's model and someone to go to the palace... And the choices are myself and Ren-kun." Hifumi remarked, getting the conversation back on track. Silence fell over the group again as they considered the best course of action.

"I think I should go to the Metaverse." Ren eventually announced.

"A-Are you sure? You'll be all by yourself!" Hifumi exclaimed worriedly.

"Well, I mean... I'm probably the best choice. Morgana's the only one who can pick locks, Yusuke needs to be part of the distraction and you only awakened to your persona yesterday... So, I'll do it." The glasses wearing boy reasoned. In all honesty, he didn't really want to go to the metaverse by himself, but he really didn't have any other choice. It was either him or Hifumi, who had no proper battle experience yet.

"I have to agree with Joker... Now, I'd suggest that we solely focus on opening the door today. You guys are still new to this phantom thief business, so we'd need to properly prepare before infiltrating the palace. We'd need things like healing items, better weapons, body armour, maybe some stuff to replenish our stamina, that sort of thing." Morgana recommended with a thoughtful twitch of his tail.

"Yes, I do believe that to be the best option." Yusuke quietly agreed, tucking his hair behind his ear.

"Well, I do live near a doctor... Maybe I could get some medicine from her?" Ren suggested, hoping to be helpful to the group.

"Yeah! That would be perfect!" Morgana cheered.

"Um... You mentioned that cognition makes things reality in the metaverse, correct?" Hifumi piped up, leaning forward.

"Yup, as long as the enemy perceives something as real, it will have an effect on them." Morgana informed the group.

"So, even if the weapons were just toys or models, they would injure the enemies?"

"Only if they look real."

"In that case, I think I may know a place to get some weapons." Hifumi surmised, placing her index finger on her chin in thought.

"Oh?"

"Yes. It's a shop called Untouchables. They specialise in model guns, but they sell models of other weapons too. And I'm pretty sure there's some body armour too." Hifumi notified the boys.

"That sounds perfect!" Morgana exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"How'd you know about a place like that?" Ren enquired with a confused tilt of his head. Hifumi averted her gaze with a blush dusting her cheeks.

"I like to look at the replica katanas and such... My mother won't allow me to buy them, so I just... look at them." She admitted bashfully, fidgeting slightly. She was worried that the boys would judge her for her interests, just like everyone else.

"No offense, but your mum sucks." Ren eventually announced. The bluntness of his words shocked Hifumi.

"Huh?"

"What kinda mum doesn't let her daughter buy a fake katana? Every woman deserves a sword." He proclaimed confidently, crossing his arms and puffed out his chest. Hifumi couldn't help but laugh at the sudden declaration.

"I a-agree completely.... I would lo-love a sword!" Hifumi wheezed out in between giggles as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Hmmm, I wonder if there'd be a katana suited to me..." Yusuke pondered absent-mindedly.

"Okay, so we've got medicine, we've got weapons, we've got armour... Now, we just need something to keep our strength up..." Morgana muttered, swinging his tail from side to side.

"Would food work? I mean, that would give us some extra energy, right?" A suggestion came from Yusuke.

"Hmmm... Yeah, that could work... We could have something to eat and drink in every safe room we find to re energise us for the rest of the infiltration..." Morgana contemplated.

"Okay, so... Medicine, weapons, armour, and a shit ton of snacks... Okay. Gotcha. So, uh, when are we gonna get all these things?" Ren asked, taking another large bite from his yakisoba pan.

"How about this Sunday? We don't have school, so we'll have the entire day to get everything sorted and hopefully be able to head into the palace right after collecting all our equipment." Hifumi suggested.

"Yeah... I think that could work... Hang on-" Ren mumbled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the date. "Okay, so it's Friday today and we have a half day tomorrow... So, should I go to get the medicine tomorrow after school? That way, we only have to worry about weapons, armour and snacks on Sunday." He continued, clumsily shoving his phone back into his pocket.

"Yes, I think that would be for the best." Yusuke agreed.

"Yeah, it would leave us with more time to explore the palace." Hifumi added.

"Problem is... I... don't have much money..." Ren awkwardly admitted.

"Ah. Yes, that is quite a dilemma..." Yusuke muttered.

"It's not a problem at all. You can find plenty of money in the metaverse. Beat the crap outta any shadows you find and take theirs. Simple." Morgana huffed with a cocky smirk.

"That makes me sound like some kinda thug..."

"Isn't that what you are?"

"Watch it, you..."

Hifumi giggled at the bickering before speaking up. "So, that's it, then? Everything's been decided?"

"It would seem so." Yusuke commented nonchalantly.

"Good! Okay then... Meeting adjourned!" Morgana declared with a contented smile.

A comfortable silence fell over the group as they continued eating their lunch. Ren cautiously glanced over at Yusuke. He knew that he had to question Yusuke about what he thought he saw earlier... He just didn't really know how... He didn't want to hurt Yusuke's feelings, either... Ren just frowned worriedly as he sipped his orange juice. After finishing off all of his lunch, he took a deep breath and braced himself.

"Hey, Yusuke, I've... been meaning to ask you something?" He spoke up in a tense tone.

"Oh?"

"Are you... Um... Are you okay?" The fluffy haired asked, finding it difficult to make eye contact with the artist. He noticed Yusuke flinch ever so slightly at that question, especially since Ren asked him the exact same thing earlier.

"Yes, of course. I'm perfectly fine... Why do you ask?" Yusuke responded, raising an eyebrow.

"Well... It's just... When you came into the classroom this morning... I could have sworn that I saw... a bruise?" Ren anxiously continued, gesturing to his abdomen, near his hip. Yusuke's eyes widened at those words. Just that sight was enough to send a pang of anxiety through Ren's chest.

"Oh, that? I was painting late last night and bumped into a chest of drawers. It was rather painful, but I'm fine." Yusuke informed him matter-of-factly. Bullshit. Ren didn't believe him at all. His eyebrows knitted together as an uneasy feeling brewed in his stomach.

"Really?" He asked suspiciously, fiddling with his bottle. Yusuke unconsciously scratched his hip as he gazed at Ren with weary eyes.

"Yes... Really." He replied firmly and looked away.

'Oh crap, I've upset him…’ Ren grimaced as that thought flew through his mind.

"L-Look, Yusuke, I'm just asking 'cause I'm worried... That's all... I just wanna help... I-I-If I can, that is..." He apprehensively mumbled, trying to fix the situation. Yusuke didn't say anything. He just harshly glanced at Ren out of the corner of his eye. Ren couldn't help but flinch. He knew that look. He'd seen that look far too often in the past few months. The raven haired boy just looked down at his lap, only to discover that his hand had started trembling.

'Oh god...' He thought as he tried and failed to stop his hand shaking. He knew what that meant.

"Excuse me... I-I need to go to the bathroom..." Ren hurriedly excused himself and briskly jogged towards the rooftop door. Hifumi worriedly watched him until his disappeared down the stairs.

"Hey, Yusuke..." She gently murmured, turning her attention to the blue haired boy. Yusuke just let out a stressed sigh and massaged his forehead.

"You wanna talk about what's bothering you, orrrrr..." Morgana awkwardly chimed in.

"I... I'm just conflicted, that's all..." Yusuke eventually huffed out, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"...How so?" Hifumi asked, carefully trying to squeeze more information out of Yusuke without offending him even further. Yusuke sighed once again before lifting his shirt slightly, revealing a large, dark purple bruise on his hip. The dark haired girl couldn't help but gasp quietly at the sight. A troubled glower sat on Yusuke's face as he opened his mouth.

"The truth is... Madarame gave me this bruise..." He admitted in a whisper. Hifumi's eyes widened at that revelation.

"W-Why?" Morgana stuttered, watching Yusuke with a worried expression.

"...He..." He paused to sigh yet again. "There's been a journalist staking out our home recently... It seems that she's investigating the rumours about Madarame plagiarising his students' work. So, um... He's been rather irritated, thanks to this, and he, uh... threw a book at me to vent his frustrations..." Yusuke explained slowly with a pained grimace. Hifumi and Morgana stared at Yusuke with stunned expressions. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"That's all the more reason to change his heart!" Morgana yowled urgently.

"I know that! It's just..." Yusuke snapped before going quiet again. "Madarame's practically been like a father to me... I lost both of my parents by the time I was three, who knows what would have happened to me if he hadn't taken me in... Plus, he also encouraged my pursuit of the arts and gave me the materials I required... I know he's not a good man... But my gratitude for all of these years won't just disappear... I don't know what I should do..." The artist admitted, letting everything that he had been holding back spill out. Hifumi understood what he meant. After all, her mother was kind of similar. She stared down at her lap as she thought over Yusuke's predicament.

"If you want to show your appreciation for everything he's done for you, shouldn't you give him the opportunity to atone?" She eventually spoke up absent-mindedly. The boy stared her with eyes wide open, completely stunned by her words.

"W-Well, I mean, like, you know, um, just-!" She backtracked, flustered as she realized what she had just said.

"No... You may be right..." Yusuke murmured as he gazed thoughtfully at the ground. There was probably some truth to Hifumi's words. Yusuke knew that Madarame's wasn't a good man. He knew that there was something that he was hiding from him. He knew that there was something... sinister about Madarame. But, he also knew that he owed Madarame his life. He knew that he saw Madarame as his father. So, wasn't bringing his teacher to justice the least he could do? After considering it for a few minutes, Yusuke let out a content chuckle.

"You know, it's funny... Despite only knowing him for a few days, I believe Ren would have probably said the same thing..." He remarked in an amused tone.

"It does seem like something he'd say." Morgana agreed with a cheerful flick of his tail.

"Speaking of Ren-kun, I think you should probably apologise to him about what happened earlier." Hifumi added, chastising the artist for his actions.

"Ah. Right... I should do that..." Yusuke concurred, frowning as guilt formed in his chest.

'I was needlessly rude again...' He thought bitterly. It was a bad habit of his whenever he was upset. He definitely needed to apologise now. He pushed himself up from his seat, fully prepared to track down Ren and give him the apology he deserved, when the bell rang.

"Dammit..." He muttered under his breath while Hifumi let out a sigh.

"I guess you'll just have to wait until class is over." She commented as she wandered over the door.

"It would seem so..." Yusuke sighed in response as he followed after her with Morgana padding along next to him.

Ren was curled up on the floor of a locked cubicle on the second floor, hugging his knees close to his chest. He tried his best to calm himself down by taking slow, deep breaths. His trembling had finally stopped, but his chest was still pounding. He hated this. He felt pathetic. He'd only been at this school for a few days and he was already breaking down in the bathroom.

It was his fault anyway…

He was insensitive and pissed Yusuke off…

That was what his brain was screaming at him.

At the very least, Ren was thankful that he hadn't started crying. So, that was something? He let out a large puff as he ran his fingers through his hair. Why did he seem to continuously be messing up these past few months? All he's really done is cause trouble for everyone... His eyebrows knitted together as a troubled frown forced itself onto his face. Ren began furiously shaking his head in a futile attempt to shake those thoughts out of his mind. Staring down at the tiled floor which was, thankfully, extremely clean, Ren placed his hand on his chest. His heartbeat had seemed to have calmed down a bit now.

After taking a final deep breath to compose himself, Ren pushed himself off the floor. However, as he reached for the lock, he heard other students enter the bathroom and quickly flinched away from the door. He held his breath, hoping that they wouldn't realise he was there as he heard them begin talking.

"Whaddya think of that transfer student?"

Ren's shoulders tensed at the mention of him.

"What, you mean that weird kid with the shaggy hair?"

"Yeah, that guy."

"Pfft, what about him? He looks like he's never been to a hairdresser in his life!"

"Haha! I know, right? Plus, what's with those glasses? Does he think they make him look cool or something?"

'Oh sure, make fun of the guy who can't see the blackboard without his glasses...' Ren thought bitterly as the two boys outside the cubicle snickered childishly.

"Hey, did you hear about that thing about him?"

"What thing?"

"He's got a criminal record, dude!"

Ren's eyes burst open at those words. Sure, he knew that there were rumours spreading around... But, to actually hear someone say those words…

"Fuck off!" The other student exclaimed in amused disbelief.

"It's true! He beat up some guy in his hometown and got kicked out of his old school!"

"Seriously?! Then, what's he doing here?!"

"Oh, you know damn well why. His parents didn't wanna deal with a troublesome shitbag and shipped him off to Tokyo so they wouldn't have to."

Ren clamped his hand over his mouth as he felt a lump form in his throat.

"Yeah, that sounds about right! Although... How the hell did he end up here?"

"How the hell should I know, dumbass?! Besides, he's just some delinquent hillbilly. It's not like he's gonna be sticking around. I give it two months. Two months, and he'll have dropped out."

As every single word stabbed into him, Ren felt something warm and wet flow down his face. Oh. There were the tears. He squeezed his eyes shut in a desperate attempt to make them stop. It didn't work.

"Yeah, you're probably right... Welp, guess we've just gotta deal with them until he gets shoved back home and has to, I dunno, roll in cowshit or something?"

The other student burst out laughing at their friends' comment.

"Yeah! Right! Oh man... Hey, c'mon dude, I need to see if I can 'borrow' some money from Daichi. My dad got mad at me for 'wasting my money on pointless crap' and there's this game I need to buy."

"Ahhhh... Yeah, sounds fun, man. Let's do it!"

Ren stood in the cubicle, completely frozen until he was absolutely sure that the two boys were gone. After working up the courage to unlock the cubicle and peak through the door, Ren eventually emerged from his hiding place and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were red and his skin was pale and blotchy. He couldn't do anything but sigh at the pathetic sight. He ran his fingers through his hair as he turned the tap, making cold water come pouring out. He took off his glasses and carefully placed them on the edge of the sink before cupping his hands under the tap. After catching a handful of water, he splashed it onto his face and began gently rubbing it against his skin. He did this over and over again until he heard the bell ring.

"Oh shit..." He muttered as he hurriedly turned the tap off and pushed his glasses back onto his face before quickly drying his hands. Remembering that his next lesson was in the science lab, he began briskly jogging towards the practise building, ignoring the people staring at him as he passed them.

Yusuke was worried about Ren as the class packed up after their last lesson and began leaving for the day. The raven haired boy had been silent and withdrawn ever since lunch. Not to mention, Yusuke hadn't had a chance to apologise yet.

"H-Hey, Ren-"

"We've got the mission to worry about, right? You should hurry home." Ren remarked blandly as he slipped his bag over his shoulder and walked out of the classroom. Yusuke couldn't help but frown. Ren's eyes looked tired... Not to mention, he looked... kind of pale... Was he really up to going to the Metaverse today?

"Well... He kinda has a point... We need to work quickly. After all, we have no idea what could happen." Hifumi spoke up, placing her hand on Yusuke's shoulder.

"She's right... We should get going. We don't wanna keep him waiting in the Metaverse for too long..." Morgana agreed. Yusuke sighed and nodded as the group began their trip to his home. The idea of lying to Madarame scared him a bit, but if that was what he had to do in order to expose Madarame's true self, so be it.

"Oh! Hey, Hifumi, do you have a spare hairpin? I could use one to pick the lock." Morgana suddenly asked, peeking his head out of Yusuke's bag.

"Stay in the bag..." Yusuke quietly snapped at the cat.

"Oh, I do, actually. Give me a second..." Hifumi responded before digging around in her bag before producing a slightly battered hairpin. "Here you go! It's a little bent out of shape, but it should still work, right?" She continued as she handed the hairpin over to Morgana.

"It's perfect!" Morgana cheered before taking the hairpin with his mouth. "Thanksh Hiphumi!"

Hifumi just giggled at the adorable sight before turning her attention back to Yusuke.

"So, what exactly do I need to do for our distraction?" She asked, tucking her silky hair behind her ear.

"Not much. Just sit on a stool and pose, really..." Yusuke replied bluntly.

"Sounds easy enough."

"We can only hope..."

"Well then, let the mission commence." Hifumi declared, a suddenly serious glint in her eye as she strode down the street. Yusuke's eyes widened at her sudden change in attitude before displaying his own determined smirk.

"Indeed."

Ren tapped his foot impatiently. The buzz of the electric barriers had grown annoying and he had to keep glancing around his surroundings for any signs of shadows.

"Is this really gonna work?" He muttered to himself. Growing anxious, he began tapping his index finger against his arm and chewing his bottom lip. Know that he really thought about it, none of them really knew what they were doing. They were just kids! Not professional thieves! Much less professional thieves that specialise in other worldly heists! Letting out a huge sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and glanced up at the door with a tense expression.

"I just have to believe in them... They can do it..."

"Yusuke, I'm home."

The two teenagers tensed up at the sound of Madarame's voice. They continued with their act as they heard the front door close and footsteps wandering through the house. Hifumi licked her lips nervously as Yusuke dabbed paint onto the canvas to distract himself.

"Yusuke? Ah, here you are. Oh, you have a friend round?" Madarame remarked as he poked his head round the door frame.

"Yes, I asked her to be the model for my next piece... I hope that's not a problem, Sensei." Yusuke replied, dipping his paintbrush into the pot of water and cleaning it.

"No, it's not a problem at all! I'm glad to see you polishing your skills." Madarame chuckled, gently waving his hand before turning his attention to the young lady perched delicately on the stool.

"Oh! I recognise you! You're Hifumi Togo, the Shogi player, aren't you?" He asked, eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes, sir.... That's me. I'm also Yusuke-kun's classmate." She informed him nervously.

"Ah, I see... Well, you are certainly a talented young lady. It's lovely to meet you." The elderly artist greeted her with a soft smile on his face, extending his hand towards her.

"Likewise, it's an honour to meet you, sir." Hifumi replied, shaking his hand while forcing a sweet smile onto her face. After being forced into show business by her mother for so long, she had gained a talent for tricking people into thinking she was happy to meet them.

"Oh, Sensei, could I ask your opinion on something?" Yusuke hurriedly asked as he noticed Madarame about to leave the room.

"Oh? What would that be?" Madarame hummed, shuffling past Hifumi to look at the work in progress on Yusuke's canvas.

"I was thinking of perhaps experimenting with a new style, but I can't quite decide what to do." Yusuke explained, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Hmmm, well, what kinds of materials would you like to use?" Madarame pressed him for more details.

"I'd prefer to focus primarily on paints." Yusuke informed his teacher. As he spoke, he shot Hifumi a quick glance. The girl instantly understood what he was trying to say.

"Um, would I be able to use the bathroom?" She shyly spoke up.

"Of course, it's down the corridor to the right." Madarame answered with that soft smile of his before turning his attention back to Yusuke's artwork. Hifumi bowed her head politely before quickly tiptoeing down the corridor to check on Morgana. She eventually found him hanging from the lock, desperately wiggling the hairpin around in the lock.

"You're still not done?!" Hifumi whispered to the feline urgently.

"It's hard... To do this... With cat paws!" Morgana grunted. Hifumi glanced over her shoulder nervously.

"Hurry up!" She hissed, beginning to panic slightly.

"Hifumi?" She heard Yusuke call out to her.

"Over here!" She called back quietly, ignoring the pounding in her chest.

"Is everything alright?" He asked her frantically, jogging over to the shogi player.

"Morgana's still not finished!" She informed him, biting her thumbnail.

"Get off my back!" Morgana spat back as he continued struggling against the lock.

"Yusuke? Are you okay?" They heard Madarame ask.

"He's coming!" Yusuke whispered in a panic.

"Alright! It's open!" Morgana announced proudly before sprinting into the room. Hifumi quickly skipped over to the doorway. Yusuke peeked around the corner of the wall, scared before pushing himself away and staring at the now open door. Madarame shuffled leisurely down the hallway, however he froze when he saw the unlocked door.

"What are you doing there?!" He barked, his usually cheerful face contorted into a large scowl.

"I-It's... It's not what it looks like!" Yusuke panickedly exclaimed, his heart pounding in his throat. Hifumi glared determinedly at the scene in front of her before lunging forward, grabbing Yusuke's arm.

"Wha...?!" Yusuke yelped in surprise as Hifumi dragged him into the previously locked room with her.

"Not in there...!" Madarame cried in a futile attempt to stop the teenagers.

Ren frowned at the ground, digging his hands deeper and deeper into his pockets. He was starting to grow paranoid now. What if something had gone wrong? What if everyone was in danger? Negative thoughts became swarming around in his mind. However, just as he was about to panic, the ground began to shake. Ren quickly turned his attention to the door which sprung open. He stared at in awe for a few seconds.

"Heh... They're amazing..." He chuckled lightly to himself, shaking his head in disbelief before composing himself, drawing his dagger and rushing towards the door. He knew that he had to hurry, otherwise the door would shut again. But, he also knew that everything beyond this point was new territory, so he'd have to be careful. The moment he entered the new room, he noticed a shadow blocking the doorway to the next room. After analysing his surroundings, Ren concluded that he had no other choice but to rush the enemy. Taking a deep breath, he darted towards the shadow.

"Who're you?!" The shadow growled hostilely.

"Step aside." Ren commanded it, pointing his dagger at its face, hoping to intimidate the shadow. It didn't work.

"Ha! I don't have to take orders from a stupid brat like you!" The shadow cackled before its body began to contort and transformed into its true self. It soon towered over Ren, sitting there, staring down at him with a malicious grin. Its bright yellow fur was almost blinding and Ren just stood there, gazing up at the beast he had to fight.

"Oh shit..." He muttered under his breath as he ripped off his mask.

"Come, Arsene!" He cried, causing the manifestation of his rebellious will to appear beside him.

"Eiha!" He commanded him. Arsene instantly complied, firing a dark energy attack straight towards the enemy. The attack hit the shadow dead in the chest. However, it didn't have much of an effect, only making it flinch slightly. Ren clicked his tongue in irritation. This was gonna be difficult. Before he could figure out his next move, the shadow struck, firing a Maeiga attack at the boy. Arsene simply positioned himself in front of his master and took the attack, not even batting an eye.

"Ha! Nice try." Ren scoffed, grinning smugly. However, the shadow quickly attacked again, catching the thief off guard. This time, it struck with Skull Cracker, slamming straight into the boy's head and knocking him off balance.

"Dammit..." hissed Ren, clutching his head in pain. His vision was a little blurry but he had to fight through it. Yusuke, Hifumi and Morgana had succeeded, now it was his turn to help out. He couldn't let them down! Now that he thought about it, Morgana had mentioned a shadow fitting the description of this one. The cat had warned him that it was strong and informed him of its weakness. If he could just remember what it was... He knew it... It was right on the tip of his tongue…

"Fire!" Ren quietly gasped to himself as it finally hit him. Did he have any Personas that used fire? He had to have at least one, right? A smirk spread across his face when he figured out his plan.

"Time to switch, Arsene... I summon thee... Hua Po!" He declared dramatically, feeling the strong yet soothing flames flowing around him as Arsene disappeared and the small fairy-like girl replaced him. Hua Po looked at Ren expectantly, waiting on his orders. Ren's smirk grew larger.

"Burn 'em to cinders!" He commanded her. Hua Po grinned ecstatically as she launched a huge stream of flames at the shadow, completely engulfing it. Ren could hear it cry out in pain and saw it eventually collapse onto its side. He raised his hand to stop Hua Po before slowly approaching the shadow and pointing his gun directly at its forehead. The shadow breathed heavily as it tried to push itself up from the floor.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" It snarled.

"I don't need to answer you." Ren spat back. The shadow snickered at that response.

"Heh... You got balls, kid, me give you that. But, really, me not the one you wanna shoot, y'know?" It said, smirking tiredly.  
Ren glared down at the creature, making a point of emphatically cocking his gun and pointing it back at its forehead.

"You sure about that?" He enquired in a deep, dark voice. He really didn't have time to waste with this punk. The shadow burst out laughing.

"Ha! Me like you, kid! You know what you're doing and not falter even once!" It howled before freezing. "Hrm? Me remember now...! Me am not Shadow that belongs here. Me exist in the sea of souls of humans! Me am Nue. My power is your power... Use it how you want." Nue announced in realisation before being engulfed in blue flames and absorbed into Joker's mask. Ren gasped at the sudden surge of extra power. After the rush of adrenaline had faded, he took a deep breath to calm himself and sprinted over to the control room to shut off the door's controls.

"Hifumi, this is bad!" Yusuke whimpered in a panic as they stumbled through the pitch black room.

"Are these the lights?" Hifumi mumbled curiously, pulling on the cord that she had bumped into. The lights flickered before completely illuminating the room. The duo froze at the sight that greeted them. Stacks upon stacks of the Sayuri. The entire room was filled with them.

"What the...?!" Yusuke uttered in disbelief. He couldn't believe his eyes. Just what the hell had his teacher been hiding from him?!

"Isn't this Sayuri?" Hifumi asked, making sure that she was correctly identifying the painting. "Why are there so many of them?"

"I have no idea..." Yusuke answered, in a slight daze. The two teenagers urgently whipped their heads around as they heard Madarame's footsteps approaching them. Morgana quickly hid behind a shelf.

"Get out!" He snarled harshly, glaring at the duo.

"Sensei, what is this meaning of this...?" Yusuke cautiously enquired, honestly terrified to hear the answer. Madarame let out an exhausted sigh.

"I suppose I can't keep quiet now that you've seen this..." He muttered, lifting his hand and massaging his temple. He sighed once again. "Truth be told... I'm in severe debt. I handmade these Sayuri copies and have been selling them through a special connection of mine..." He explained dejectedly, glancing at Yusuke with guilt in his eyes.

"But why...?" Yusuke questioned him sadly.

"The real Sayuri... was stolen long ago by one of my pupils. I assume they begrudged my strictness... That moment was quite a shock for me... Since then, I've been mired in a terrible artist's block... Because of this distress, some of my pupils handed their ideas over to me from time to time..." Madarame explained with a pained expression. Yusuke and Hifumi remained silent as he continued, but Hifumi placed her hand on her chin thoughtfully.

"I knew I couldn't keep that up, so I attempted to recreate the Sayuri a number of times. However, it resulted in nothing more than replicas... That's when someone came to buy the paintings, knowing well they weren't original..." Madarame glanced woefully at Yusuke before looking to the side.

"...It's all my fault. I couldn't pay the price of being famous. As expectations for me rose, it reached a point where I had no choice but to keep making them... I... needed money to further your talents... I ask that you please forgive your cowardly teacher..." The elderly artist lamented, turning his gaze back to his final student.

"Please, don't..." Yusuke begged desperately, stepping forward in an attempt to soothe his father figure.

"Hold on... Something doesn't add up." Hifumi interjected, glancing at Madarame suspiciously. "If the original painting was stolen, how were you able to make copies of it?"

Yusuke's eyes widened in surprise at her question. Of course... How hadn't he considered that? He looked back at his teacher, curious to hear his answer.

"I... happened to find a finely detailed photograph of it in an artbook." Madarame informed her, but he seemed to be lacking some of his previous composure.

"So you managed to sell copies of a photo of the original? I'm not entirely sure how this works, but... Don't people who buy paintings generally have a keen eye for the fine arts?" Hifumi continued her interrogation, shifting her eyes into a skeptical squint.

"This sounds like a lie to me." She concluded, glaring daggers into Madarame.

"What would you know?!" Madarame growled, suddenly growing quite hostile towards the girl.

"Something just doesn't feel right!" Hifumi reasoned, glancing wearily over at Yusuke, who was mostly remaining silent.

"Hifumi! Something about this one seems different!" Morgana called out to the girl, knowing full well that Yusuke wasn't listening to him. Hifumi turned to face the cloth that Morgana was gesturing towards. Curious, she grabbed the cloth and pulled, ignoring Madarame's protests. As the cloth fluttered to the ground, the group stared in disbelief at the item is had been concealing.

“Sayuri...? This... This is the real Sayuri!" Yusuke muttered in bemusement, turning to face his teacher. "But you just said a moment ago that was stolen...!"

"That's a replica!" Madarame snapped, a irritated glower on his face.

"No, it's nothing of the sort!" Yusuke protested, finally gaining the confidence to stand against the man who raised him. "This painting kept me going... It's the reason I made it this far... Sensei... Don't tell me..."

"It's fake... Yes, a counterfeit! I heard there was counterfeit spreading around, so I bought it!" The old man growled, clearly lying at this point.

"So you're telling me the actual artist behind the painting bought a counterfeit? That's pushing it." Hifumi spat, folding her arms across her chest and watching Madarame with a judging stare.

"You're lying, Sensei..." Yusuke breathed, glaring at the deceitful man in front of him. "Please just tell us the truth..."

"You too...?" grumbled Madarame, staring at his student with enraged eyes. The elderly artist, reached into his sleeve and pulled out his phone.

"I've reported you to my private security company!" He informed the teenagers as his displayed his phone triumphantly.

"What?!" Hifumi squeaked anxiously.

"I had it set up to deal with some problematic paparazzi, but I never thought it'd come in so handy." chuckled Madarame with a conniving smirk.

"Please, wait! Let's talk about this...!" Yusuke pleaded, growing desperate as the situation began to quickly escalate.

"You can talk all you want to the police... That includes you, Yusuke." Madarame huffed, ignoring the pleas of his student.

"Guys! Let's run!" Morgana shrieked, jumping out from his hiding and sprinted out the room. Hifumi and Yusuke briskly followed.

"A cat?! Where did it- There's no point! They'll be here within two minutes!" Madarame shouted after the two fleeing teenagers as they disappeared from his sight.

Ren grunted and stretched tiredly as he left the control room. It was tough fighting shadows all by yourself... But, he did it and he managed to shut down the door's control, so the door wasn't gonna be a problem anymore. Now all he had to do was get outta the Metaverse and meet up with everyone else. He let out a big yawn as he wandered across the courtyard.

"Noooooooo...!" The sudden scream caused Ren to stop dead in his tracks. That was a girl's voice. And it sounded familiar. He looked up, only to discover two people tumbling down towards him. His body quickly shifted to autopilot, lunging forward and catching them, one in each arm. Ren just about managed to stay standing after enduring the sudden weight being forced on him. His legs trembled and sweat dripped down his chin as he gritted his teeth.

"What... the hell?" The raven haired boy grunted, completely baffled by the sudden turn of events. Just as those words left his mouth, Morgana slammed into his face with a bellyflop 'causing everyone to collapse onto the floor.

"Sorry, Ren..." Hifumi groaned, pushing herself up in a sitting position.

"Joker..." Morgana weakly corrected her, clutching his fluffy stomach.

"Joker."

"What the hell is going on? The last thing I expected was for it to start raining thieves..." Ren huffed out in confusion as Yusuke helped him sit up. However, the conversation was quickly cut short by the sound of shadows rushing towards the courtyard.

"We'll explain later!" Yusuke shouted, grabbing Ren's wrist and pulling him to his feet. The kitsune masked boy dragged the raven haired boy as the group sprinted through the palace.

"It's a long story! We'll tell you when we're safe!" Morgana yowled, jumping onto Ren's shoulder. Finally finding his footing and running by himself, Ren let out an exasperated huff.

"Fine! But, you better explain everything!"

The teenagers slumped down in their seat, completely exhausted. After finally shaking the horde of shadows and escaping the Metaverse, the group decided to relax at Big Bang Burger and grab a bite to eat. Ren pinched the bridge of his nose after hearing the full story from the rest of the group.

"Well... That is not good. Not good at all..." He muttered. Great. More stress. That was just what he needed right now.

"Also, I think you should know, that I've spoken to Madarame on the phone. He's still furious and is berating his security team for not being able to catch a single high school girl. But, he definitely intends to press charges." Yusuke informed them, placing his phone onto the table.

"...Shit." Ren hissed, resting his head on the table.

"Oh, we're really in trouble..." Hifumi mumbled, anxiously fiddling with the straw of her drink.

"Not necessarily. He's busy finalising plans for an exhibit that's been planned for next month. So, he probably won't press charges until all of his meetings have finished. Which means... He won't act until May 2nd." Yusuke continued. Ren let out a relieved sigh.

"So, we've just gotta change his heart before then? Ha! Easy!" Morgana butted in, poking his head out of Ren's bag.

"I agree. We'll just have to devise the perfect strategy and pace ourselves." Hifumi concurred, smiling deviously.

"Yeah, you're right... Let's do this thing!" Ren chuckled softly.

"Well, it's been a long day... How about we just eat and relax now?" Hifumi sighed out, finally releasing the tension from her shoulders.

"Yeah, that's a great idea." Ren grunted as he took a large stretch, causing his back to click loudly.

"By the way, Ren, I've been meaning to say this since lunchtime, but I'm very sorry... You were right about the bruise on my hip... I panicked and got defensive... I shouldn't have been so harsh to you when you were concerned about my wellbeing... So, I'm sorry." Yusuke apologized sincerely, too ashamed to make eye contact with Ren. The raven haired boy just raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"It's fine. You don't need to apologise. It was my fault, after all. I kept prying when you didn't want me to, so you really don't owe me any apologies." Ren stated blankly. He really did believe every word he was saying, but to his confusion, Yusuke just couldn't accept that.

"No! I was needlessly rude! You weren't in the wrong!"

"I keep telling you, it's fine."

"But-"

"Look, I was wrong for prying into your personal business, you were wrong for being rude. Let's just say that we were both wrong and move on, okay?"

"...Fine."

Despite settling the situation, Yusuke still felt bitter, even as Ren extended his hand towards him and they shook on it. Morgana and Hifumi smiled contentedly at the scene, glad that the two boys had made up.

"By the way, Ren, I hope it wasn't too difficult to traverse the palace by yourself..." Hifumi whispered softly, a worried glint in her eye.

"Well, I mean, I had to fight against a shadow and that was kinda hard... But, I managed and even got a new Persona out of it... So, I mean... I lived. That's something." Ren awkwardly replied.

"Really?! Which one?!" Morgana excitedly asked, twitching his tail.

"Nue." Ren informed him and handed him fry, which the cat happily munched on.

"Is it strong?" Hifumi asked as she took a sip of her milkshake.

"Well, I mean, he damn near gave me a concussion, so I'm gonna say yes." Ren responded sarcastically, taking a large bite of his burger. "I'm fine by the way, don't worry." He quickly added, noticing the concern on his teammates' faces.

"But, still, defeating it all by yourself and sneaking through the palace without being caught at all? That's a very impressive feat... You're quite amazing, you know that?" Yusuke remarked, smiling softly at Ren.

Ren completely froze at that comment, his eyes wide open in shock. He really wasn't used to receiving praise like that. Actually, now that he thought about it, when was the last time he had been praised? His cheeks quickly flushed a bright pink as he looked down at the table and pushed up his glasses.

"I-It was nothing..." He bashfully mumbled. He chose to ignore Morgana's childish giggling and changed the subject.

"So, Hifumi. You play Shogi, right? Do you think we could play a few games sometime?" He asked lightly.

"Oh! Uh, sure, if you'd like to. I could use a partner to practise new strategies with... Do you have any experience with the game?" Hifumi replied, pleasantly surprised by the question.

"Yeah, I, uh, used to play with my grandmother..." Ren sheepishly admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh really? What kind of woman is she?" Hifumi asked, excited to hear about a fellow shogi player.

"Well, um, she died two years ago... But, uh, she was a really sweet lady... She had her own farm that she ran with my grandfather until he passed away. I'd help out from time to time, it was fun! Everyone in town loved her... She always helped anyone in need... Like, if a family didn't have enough money for groceries, she'd happily give them some vegetables and eggs, free of charge! And she loved showing off the animals to excited little kids! She'd even let them feed the chickens and teach them how to milk cows! She was really, really good at Shogi, too. She always kicked my ass at it! Actually, she beat just about everybody she played with! Heh... She really was a great woman..." Ren went on and on about his grandmother, smiling ear-to-ear the entire time.

Yusuke couldn't help but stare at Ren the entire time. He had never seen him this genuinely happy. It was a beautiful smile and his eyes looked so soft. He felt that same surge of emotion he felt when he first saw Ren. The same feeling when he first saw the Sayuri. He really hoped that he would have the chance to capture Ren's likeness on canvas someday. He'd have to ask when they weren't under so much pressure.

"Wow... She sounds amazing, definitely the type of person more people should be... Do you have any photos of her?" Hifumi giggled cheerfully, resting her chin on her hand.

"Yeah, gimme a sec... Oh! Here's one of her with her favourite cow, Tofu!" Ren proudly showed his phone to his friends. It displayed a picture of a chubby, kindly old lady wearing a baggy pink plaid shirt and old blue dungarees with big black boots and her silver hair pulled back into twin braids. She had a huge grin on her face as she cuddled the light brown cow, who was also clearly extremely happy.

The group couldn't help but giggle at the adorable photo.

"What a cute name for a cow!" Hifumi commented, placing her hand over her mouth.

"She obviously enjoyed her work." Yusuke remarked with a light smile.

"Hey, hey! What was your grandma's name?" Morgana asked, his eyes sparkling brightly.

"Tsubomi."

"Is she your grandmother from you mother's side or your father's side?" Hifumi asked, following on from Morgana's question.

"Mother's side."

"What's your mum's name?" Morgana persisted.

"Yuri."

“What’s your dad’s name?” The cat continued the interrogation.

“Hinata.”

"...Huh. Tsubomi, Yuri, Hinata, Ren... It seems your family has a floral theme going on." Yusuke observed with an amused chuckle.

"So it would seem." Ren replied with a beaming smile on his face. The group continued chatting and giggling amongst themselves as they finished their meals.

"Welp, today was... interesting." Ren huffed as the thieves left the fast food establishment.

"That's an understatement." Yusuke tiredly huffed. Ren scoffed at the sheer amount of sarcasm.

"We're getting started tomorrow, right?" Hifumi checked cautiously.

"Yeah, Ren and I'll get the medicine from the Yongen doctor tomorrow, and then we'll all buy weapons, armour and anything else we need on Sunday." Morgana confirmed.

"Alright then. I suppose we'd better prepare ourselves then." The shogi played mumbled with a determined glare.

"Yes. Although, we'll have to be careful in public, we don't want to raise any suspicions." Yusuke reminded them.

"Yeah, that's true... Anyway, we should probably get some rest for today... Oh, and Yusuke? Take care... Okay?" Ren sighed, glancing at Yusuke nervously. The artist stared at Ren in surprise. He wasn't expecting him to be so concerned about his well being.  
"I will. Besides, Madarame won't be home very often, thanks to all of the meetings. So, I should be fine." Yusuke reassured the others, smiling gently.

"That's good to hear..." Hifumi let out a thankful breath as she began to walk away. The two boys followed suite.

"Good night!" They called out simultaneously before going their separate ways. Ren wandered down Central Street and shoved his hands into his pockets before smirking to himself and muttering under his breath.

"Mission... Start."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that this has taken way too long and I'm very sorry. I don't have an excuse, there's just been some personal problems recently.  
> I've been trying to write quicker, but I keep losing motivation and inspiration, not to mention that I haven't been able to get my stuff beta read, thanks to my social anxiety.  
> I really want to try and get the next chapter out a lot faster but I really can't make any promises.  
> I'm very sorry for making you all wait for so long yet again.

Ren hummed cheerfully as he wandered through the train station, enjoying his music. Despite only being in Tokyo for a few days, he had already learnt a very important lesson: Listening to music through headphones makes the crowds a lot more bearable. He really wasn't used to being in large crowds, mostly because Inaba was a very quiet town and there usually wasn't a lot of people in one place unless a festival was being held. Despite being unable to hear it, Ren could feel Morgana contentedly purred against his back as he made his way towards the exit. Nearing the stairs, Ren suddenly bumped into someone and caused them to drop their bag.

"Why me...?" They groaned as folders spilled out of their bag.

"I'm so sorry, Ma'am! Here let me get those for you!" Ren frantically exclaimed as he collapsed to the ground and began carefully shovelling the books back into the bag. He felt completely mortified about making this poor woman drop everything she was carrying. After finally placing the last folder back where it belonged, Ren carefully pushed himself back onto his feet and pulled an earbud out of his ear.

"Here you go, Ma'am. Sorry, again, about that." He politely said, handing the bag back to the brunette haired woman.

"Oh! Well, thank you very much! That's so nice of you..." She replied, seeming to be shocked by his manners as she took the bag and gently slung it over her shoulder. Ren smiled sweetly at her and bowed his head slightly.

"Well, have a good day." He spoke, waving his hand gently as he walked away.

"You too...!" The woman called back, adjusted her bright yellow shirt before continuing on her way.

'She looked tired...' Ren worriedly thought to himself as he jogged up the stairs.

"You can tell that kid's not from around here..." He heard a man's voice speak up from behind him.

"How'd you mean?" A younger voiced replied.

"You really think anyone from around here would help pick up that stuff?"

"Yeah... That's true..."

'Are they trying to say that Tokyo's full of assholes?' Ren thought to himself with a frown as he placed the free earbud back into his ear, blasting his music at full volume. Blocking out all of the irritating businessmen and women, the raven haired boy continued his journey to school.

The end of day bell rang out, causing a surge of relief to flow through Ren. He hadn't been allowed to go to school for quite a while since that incident, so he had forgotten how much he loved half days. There was just something so satisfying about finishing at lunchtime rather than the late afternoon.

"Have you considered all of the possible medicine we'll need?" Yusuke discreetly whispered to Ren as they packed up their books.

"Not really... I've heard rumours that she creates her own homemade medicines, so I'll just see what she has." Ren quietly responded. Yusuke couldn't help but frown worriedly at those words.

"Don't worry. I trust her, she treated me that day I passed out." The glasses wearing boy reassured him, seeing the artist's expression.

"Very well... I'll take your word for it." Yusuke sighed, still a little apprehensive as he stood up from his seat.

"Oh, Ren, I wasn't sure how much money you had, so here you go." Hifumi spoke up, handing 5000 Yen in notes to Ren.

"Oh, thanks! I've been saving up some of the money we got from the palace, but I think this'll definitely help! I mean, I'm not entirely sure how much the medicine will cost, so thanks so much, Hifumi." Ren expressed his appreciation as he slipped the money into his wallet.

"No problem, just get whatever you think will be helpful." Hifumi giggled happily, glad to be helpful. Ren smiled back as he stood up and positioned his bag on his chair.

"Okay, Mona, in you get." He muttered, hoping no one left in the class noticed. The cat didn't move an inch.

"Morgana?" Hifumi called out, leaning down to peer inside Ren's desk. The cat still didn't move.

"Morgana, are you alright?" Yusuke asked, glancing down at him in concern. It was at this point that the trio heard the animal's snoring. Ren rolled his eyes and poked the cat. Morgana let out a confused 'mrrp' as he lifted his head and looked at his teammates.

"Wha-? Is school finished already...?" He sleepily enquired, clearly feeling a little disoriented.

"Yup, time to get in the bag." Ren replied lazily.

"Oh, okay... Sorry about that..." Morgana yawned, having a quick stretch before diving into the bag. After making sure that the cat was comfortable, Ren zipped up the bag, leaving a small opening for air. This time, it was Ren who yawned. Huh, it seemed like yawns really were contagious.

"Yo! Amamiya!" A voice called out from the doorway.

"Huuuh...?" Ren gasped out, mid yawn. He awkwardly froze when he realised the person who called him was Matsunaga, his teacher.

"...Sorry..." He mumbled out in embarrassment.

"Charming. Anyway, couldja come with me for a sec?" Matsunaga chuckled, gesturing for Ren to follow him as he stepped out in the hallway.

"I'll message you guys when I get home... See ya tomorrow!" Ren informed his teammates before quickly jogging after his homeroom teacher. The duo waved gently at the fluffy haired boy and began making their way to the school entrance together, discussing possible plans of action for their next foray into Madarame's palace.

"What was it you needed from me, Sir?" Ren asked nervously as he walked alongside the teacher, hoping that he wouldn't notice the happily snoozing cat inside his bag.

"Well, it's not really me who needs you, I'm just accompanying you." Matsunaga vaguely responded. Frowning, Ren decided to stay silent. He knew that he probably wasn't gonna get a straight answer, so he just tagged along to wherever Matsunaga was taking him.

After walking for a few minutes and entering the practise building, the chestnut haired teacher stopped in front of a door. The sign read 'Music Room'.

"Ah, so this is what the whole thing was about.' Ren realised as he stared up at the sign. He glanced over at Matsunaga who simply gestured for Ren to enter first.

"Excuse me...?" The glasses wearing boy shyly asking as he pulled the door open and stepped into the room. He was greeted by the sight of a woman arranging sheet music. This woman was quite short, probably around 5'2", with her hair dyed a soft, pastel blue. She wore small framed white glasses over her hazel eyes with a large black sweater, white jeans and navy blue pumps.

"Ahh, so this is the new scholarship student?" She asked Matsunaga excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

"The very one." Matsunaga answered before turning to face Ren.

"This is Kanade Hitokoe, she's the music teacher here and the one who will be supervising your scholarship." He introduced her, gesturing towards the cheerful woman who curtsied cutely with a big smile.

"It's lovely to meet you! I've heard a lot of great things about you!" She exclaimed as she enthusiastically shook the teenager's hand. Those words shocked Ren. So far, everyone that he met had only heard bad things about him. It was weird meeting someone who seemed happy to meet him…

"It's nice to meet you too, Ma'am." Ren quietly replied, bowing slightly.

"Oh, c'mon! There's no need to be so formal! I pride myself on running a laid back classroom!" Hitokoe giggled. Ren didn't say anything. He just shyly nodded.

"Aaaanyway... You've been here a few days, but we haven't really sorted anything out in regards to your scholarship. So, Hitokoe just needs to ask you some questions and tell you what you'll need to do." Matsunaga explained to Ren nonchalantly.

"Okay." The raven haired boy responded simply.

"Good. Welp, I've got some lessons to prepare, so you behave yourself and listen to what she says, okay? Byyeee." Matsunaga called out with a lazy smile as he exited the room. Ren nodded once again before turning and awkwardly facing the music teacher.

"There's no need to be so nervous!" She reassured him, patting his arm gently.

"Sorry..." Ren mumbled bashfully. Hitokoe just raised an eyebrow and gently sighed as she sat down behind her desk.

"C'mon, take a seat." She told him, gesturing at the seat in front of her desk. Ren complied without a word.

"Nowwwww, leet's seeee...." She muttered as she began flicking through the folders on her desk.

"A-Ma-Miiiiiiiiii-Ya~!" She cheered in a sing song voice, pulling out Ren's folder and holding it up triumphantly.

"Okay, so, what instruments do you play?" She enquired, picking up a pen and opening up the folder.

"Um, piano, guitar, and violin." Ren answered, fidgeting with his hands.

"Acoustic or electric guitar?"

"Uh, both."

"Okay, and which would you say is your specialty?"

"Probably piano. It's the one I've been playing for the longest."

"Okay..." Hitokoe mumbled as she wrote those details down.

"Okay, so, do you ever write music? Like, composing, song-writing, etcetera?" She continued, moving onto the next question.  
"Um, I mostly compose music, I can read and write sheet music for most instruments... I'm not really all that good at writing lyrics..." Ren replied, pushing his glasses up.

"Okie dokie... And do you sing?" Hitokoe persisted, noting down the boy's answers again.

"Not really, no."

"Oh, really? 'Cause the reports I got from your old teacher said you had a wonderful voice!" The pastel haired woman questioned him in surprise.

"Heh... He said that to everyone..." Ren chuckled nervously.

"He told everyone that you have a wonderful voice?" Hitokoe asked with a sarcastic smirk.

"N-No! Haha... Um, he told everyone that they had great singing voices..." The raven haired boy explained awkwardly.

"Oh, I see... Okay, are there any instruments that you want to learn?"

"I'd, uh, quite like to learn how to play bass guitar... I mean, it adds a really great beat to the song, and generally mixes with the drum beats pretty well." He responded, justifying his answer.

"Very nice! Any other instruments you'd like to learn?" The teacher cheered with a cheerful smile.

"Uhhhh... Maybe the flute? It just sounds kinda soothing..." muttered Ren, unsure of how to answer.

"Okaayyy, and finally, is there any specific career that you'd like to accomplish, in regards to music?" Hitokoe asked, writing down in the folder again.

"I'd like to, um... I'd like to maybe compose soundtracks for films or games..." Ren admitted, shyly glancing down at the floor.

"A very interesting choice. Any reasons for it?" The teacher asked, genuinely curious about the reasoning.

"Well... Um... I guess it's because there's been a lot of games that I've played during stressful times, and uh, the soundtracks have some amazing music in them that make me feel so many different emotions... So, um, I guess it's because that kind of music has helped me sometimes..." He mumbled, completely avoiding eye contact with the woman.

"Why are you embarrassed? I'm sure the composers would be delighted to hear that their music means that much to you!" Hitokoe reassured him with a bright grin.

"R-Right..." Ren uttered, blushing lightly. The pastel haired woman pushed up her glasses as she flicked through the folder, reading the information she had been given by Ren's former teacher.

"Okay, so you'll basically be tested by a variety of methods. For example, recitals of each instrument you play... Those usually happen once or twice a semester. I'd also like to see you compose your own original songs, but that probably won't be until later in the year, or maybe even later this semester, depends on what I decide." Hitokoe informed her new student, a sudden serious aura surrounding her.

"Okay..." Ren mumbled.

"Also, I'd quite like to test you on song-writing and perhaps singing later on in the year." She continued. Ren tensed up at those words. Didn't he just say that he wasn't good at those?! Hitokoe smirked cheekily and started to laugh.

"You know... Despite only talking to you for about five minutes, it's very clear to me that you have some self esteem issues. So, I just want to find out who's telling the truth about your abilities... You or your teacher. And, who knows? Maybe this'll boost your confidence!" She explained, softening her smirk a little.

"Okay..." Ren mumbled, a troubled frown on his face as he stared down at his feet. He could see that she had good intentions and... it was her job, after all, but he couldn't help but worry about the entire thing. What if he didn't perform well and he lost his scholarship? Where we he go after that? Would another school even be willing to accept him? What would his parents think?! As all of these questions began to swarm and overwhelm him, Hitokoe gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, don't worry. We'll take things slowly. We'll figure out your strengths and weaknesses, and then figure out how we can improve your skills, alright?" She spoke softly as she stroked the anxious boy's shoulder.

"Okay." Ren whispered. Hitokoe's smile grew at his answer.

"Good, good. Now, before you go... Could you maybe give me a demonstration of your skills with piano, guitar and violin? You know, let me see what I'm working with here? It'll only take about ten minutes!" She asked as she stood, an excited grin on her.

"Okay, Ma'am." Ren agreed. The teacher clapped her hands happily and gestured for Ren to sit at the piano. The fluffy haired boy complied and perched himself in front of the piano.

"Just play whatever song comes to mind." The pastel haired woman instructed him, just as he was about to ask what he should play. His eyebrows knitted together as he thought of a song to play. C'mon... There had to be something... He had way too many favourites to pick just one... Wasn't there one that he played all the time? After remembering a certain song, he smiled softly and placed his hands over the keys. Taking a deep breath, Ren pressed down on the first note.

As Ren stepped off the train into Yongen-Jaya station, he couldn't help but smile to himself. He actually really enjoyed playing music for his teacher. He had forgotten how much of a comfort playing music was to him. It was nice to feel some security after everything he'd been through.

"Y'know, that music was really nice!" Morgana cheered from the bag as Ren wandered down the street.

"You think so?" Ren bashfully asked, turning the first corner.

"Yep! The piano was so soothing! Not to mention the violin sounded really pretty. And the guitar was so cool!" The cat continued showering Ren with praise.

"That's really sweet of you, Mona... Thanks, but uh, we're going into the clinic now so stay quiet, okay?" Ren replied, shyly scratching his cheek. Morgana whispered a quick 'Okay' as the raven haired boy stepped through the door. The clinic was completely empty besides from Dr. Takemi herself sat behind the reception area. Ren took a discreet deep breath before approaching the doctor. He quietly cleared his throat to get her attention. The blue haired woman glanced up at him.

"Oh, it's you. So, what are you here for today? Your head isn't still giving you problems, is it?" She commented in a very laid back tone.

"No, my head's fine, thank you..." He mumbled as he tried to think of a believable excuse for medicine. "...My body feels lethargic." He eventually stated. It wasn't exactly a lie... It should be fine, right? Takemi stared at him with a piercing gaze.

"...Fine. Please head to exam room." She eventually spoke up, gesturing to a nearby door.

"Thank you." Ren politely replied as he opened the door and stepped through. He heard Takemi's high heels clacking against the tiled floor behind him.

"Please have a seat." Takemi offered, pointing at a nearby stool as she shut the door and made her way over to her desk. Ren complied and took a seat while Takemi picked up and clipboard and pen.

"Now, what exactly is the problem?" She asked, clicking her pen and moving her hand into a writing position.

"I've just been constantly tired lately... Like, sometimes when I stand up, my vision goes all blurry and I feel lightheaded. Plus, my body seems to ache a lot whenever I'm walking around. I've been trying to get enough sleep but even when I do get the recommended amount of sleep, I'm still always tired..." Ren explained. He hadn't really expected to go to Takemi with a genuine issue he had, but well... Here he was. Takemi nodded thoughtfully as she noted down the given details on her sheet.

"...In a case like yours, it's usually just due to stress. I'm going to prescribe you some pain relievers, okay?" She explained. Ren just silently nodded.

"Actually, I still need to restock those..." Takemi muttered as she remembered. "So, let's go with sleeping pills instead. Sleep is the best medicine anyway. Which type of pill do you want, a sweet tasting one or a bitter one?"

"Whichever?" Ren awkwardly answered, slightly confused by Takemi's questions.

"How about a stinky one, then?" She suggested. Ren frowned in confusion. "Just kidding. There's no such pill. All right, let's stop beating around the bush..." She continued before leaning towards Ren, a sudden seriousness in her eyes. His chest suddenly pounded anxiously.

"You're not actually sick at all, are you? I'm not as dumb as I look, you know." She huffed with a scowl before leaning back against her chair and replacing the scowl with her usually languid expression. "...I'm guessing you're here because you heard the rumours about me, huh?"

"That's right." Ren honestly answered, not seeing any point in lying to her.

"You're one of those patients with an ulterior motive, huh? What's the world coming to?" The doctor huffed as she absent-mindedly scribbled on the corner of her sheet. "I guess highschool kids have tough nowadays too, huh? Well, fine, I'll prescribe you some medication."

Ren looked at her in surprise. He honestly thought that she wouldn't give him anything.

"But only medication that will help you recover your health. I guess it's fine. You seem pretty earnest, and you don't look like you'll be any trouble. This is my private practise. All the medicine I dispense is original. I have license to make my own formulas. You've likely seen them being sold at various hospitals. It's your responsibility to take care of yourself. So if that's okay with you, stop by anytime." She explained, staring at Ren intently the entire time.

"That's a huge help, thank you, Doctor." Ren replied politely.

"Great. It's nice that you're so quick on the uptake... Saves me the hassle. You're a pretty weird kid, you know? I wonder what you're going to use the medicine for..." Takemi muttered thoughtfully and placed her hand on her chin. Ren nervously averted his gaze.

"Well, as long as you don't cause me any trouble, it's not my problem..." The doctor sighed nonchalantly before handing Ren a small paper bag with the prescribed medicine.

"Okay, thank you very much, Doctor." The glasses wearing boy politely replied as he carefully placed the medicine into his school bag, making sure that Takemi didn't spot Morgana and stood up. As he reached the door, he had a sudden thought. There was something else that he needed help with... Although he didn't really want to talk to anyone about it... In the end, he carefully placed his school bag on the bench outside the exam room and walked back in, shutting the door behind him.

"Um, excuse me, Doctor, but there's something else I'd like to discuss with you..." He nervously informed her.

"Very well, take a seat again. I'll see how I can help."

A few minutes later, Ren left the exam room again with a small bottle hidden in his clenched fist. The moment he exited the room, he was face to face with a middle aged man in a suit. He muttered a quick 'sorry' as he got out of the man's way and picked up his school bag. After the man entered the exam room, Ren heard Takemi's voice through the door.

"What's the reason for your visit? Do you have a cold? Stomach ache? Athlete's foot? Whatever it is, you'll need to take a number..."

Ren just began walking towards the clinic door when he heard the man shout.

"Enough of this!"

Ren couldn't help but stop in tracks at the sound of the rage in the man's voice.

"You're the only one who could have developed that type of medicine!" The agitated man continued. Ren quietly snuck over to the door and listened carefully, curious about this medicine.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about..." Takemi sighed vaguely.

"Don't play dumb with me." The man hissed aggressively. "Rumour has it, it's a drug so potent it can give a person unlimited power."

Ren raised his eyebrows at those words. It seemed unlikely that a medicine like that could exist, but if it did, it would definitely be helpful.

"Really? That's news to me." Takemi shot back, sounding completely disinterested.

"Developing experimental drugs, medicine, and herbal remedies violates all health regulations. Are you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will only become a social issue." The man warned the doctor with a growl.

"You're really persistent, you know that? I'm just a quack..." Takemi dismissed him, huffing in irritation.

"The police may not be taking action, but I imagine that media will soon pick up on it. You intend to ruin my reputation again, huh? You're a disgrace to the medical community." The man spat out spitefully. Takemi didn't say anything, she clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"What with the look? That was your mistake, was it not? I won't be responsible for your criminal actions. Dispose of that 'medicine' immediately and resign. The name Tae Takemi will never-" The man suddenly cut off his rant mid sentence.

"Hey, is someone there?!" He barked out, stepping towards the door. Ren panicked and quickly shuffled out the clinic, trying his hardest not to make a sound.

Ren stifled a yawn as he rode the subway to Shibuya. Morgana had taken the time to teach Ren how to make a few infiltration tools the night before, so now he had a handful of lockpicks and smoke bombs. He had also messaged Yusuke and Hifumi to let them know that he had got the medicine and agreed a time to meet up. Sojiro was pretty surprised that Ren was already meeting up with friends after only being in Tokyo for a week, but he seemed pretty happy about it too. Ren could feel Morgana squirming in his bag, struggling to get comfortable, probably thanks to all of the medicine that Ren had crammed in there. They were going to explore the palace after buying their weapons, after all. They needed all the supplies they could get.

"Train doors are now opening." The announcement pulled Ren out of his thoughts and caused to quickly exit the carriage. He jogged carefully through the station and up the exit stairs towards the Station Square. After turning the corner, Ren noticed his partners in crime chatting quietly under a tree. As he briskly walked towards them, Yusuke noticed him and waved. Ren waved back as he approached them.

"Looks like you made it." Hifumi commented with a sweet smile.

"Yup. I'm here and still in one piece." Ren replied, smirking playfully.

"What a relief to hear. Now then, shall we get going? We have a lot to do." Yusuke remarked.

"You're right... Shall I lead the way?" Hifumi agreed, gesturing for the boys to follow her.

"Please do, I have no idea where I'm going." Ren joked as he walked behind her, opening his bag up a little bit for Morgana to stick his head out. The cat let out a sigh of relief as he was finally able to breathe some fresh air. As the group walked towards Central Street, Ren noticed a politician giving a speech and slowed down to listen.

"Everyone, wake up! This country is twisted!" He declared.

"This politician is making a lot of good points, but not a lot of people are stopping to listen to him..." Morgana muttered thoughtfully.

"Really? I don't really know much about politics, but he tends to give a lot of speeches in this area, mostly on Sundays." Hifumi informed the cat.

"He... kinda looks familiar..." Ren mumbled, staring at the man with a squint.

"Well, I suppose he should. He's the man you bumped into when we met up before school a few days ago." Yusuke bluntly reminded him. Ren's eyes shot wide open and his face flushed a bright pink.

"Oh! Yeah. That guy..." Ren awkwardly mumbled under his breath. As they walked past, the politician noticed the teenagers and gave a sly smile and wave to Ren. This caused the fluffy haired teens cheeks to turn an even brighter pink.

"It would seem that he recognises you too." Yusuke commented, smirking knowingly at Ren.

"Please don't make this any more mortifying for me." Ren huffed bashfully. Hifumi just giggled quietly as she continued leading the boys through the crowds. After navigating their way down Central Street, dodging all the shady men offering them easy jobs, Hifumi directed the boys down an alleyway where a shop named Untouchables sat. There was just something about the secluded area, the blocked alleyway, and the green neon sign that just made the shop seem... shady to Ren. Although, there was something about that he quite liked.

"Well, this is it. So, um, do either of you know about military stuff?" Hifumi asked, tilting her head expectantly. Ren and Yusuke just glanced at each other awkwardly.

"I suppose if the worst comes to worst, we could just ask the shopkeeper for their recommendations.." Hifumi suggested as she pushed the door open. After stepping through the door, Ren looked around the shop in awe. The shady feeling he had gotten from the outside increased tenfold after stepping inside. Model guns, fake grenades and all sorts of military replicas were on display as far as the eye could see. The lighting in the shop wasn't the best, causing the shop to be full of dark shadows in every corner. Ren smirked excitedly at the sight. It really reminded him of those movies about shady thieves. It was exhilarating. Yusuke was instantly attracted to a high quality katana replica as he picked it up and analysed it from every angle. The blue haired boy cautiously checked the price tag before letting out a relieved sigh. Ren couldn't help but softly chuckle at the sight before turning his attention to the man behind the counter as Hifumi began walking over to a naginata.

"Could you ask the shopkeeper about the guns please? And perhaps you should get a new dagger to help in potential battles?" Hifumi whispered to Ren as she walked past him. The fluffy haired teen looked at the shopkeeper and spoke up,

"Excuse me." He called out. The man looked up from his manga and made eye contact with the teenager. Ren felt a chill run down his spine. Intimidating. That was the best way to describe this man. He wore a grey cap that hid his eyes at certain angles with yellow silencer headphones on top of it. He had gruff stubble on his chin and a gecko tattoo on his neck, with a big, bulky coat over his outfit. He kept his manga in his hands, clearly not interested in dealing with customers, as he chewed on what Ren thought was a toothpick.

"Um, could you perhaps give us some gun recommendations?" The fluffy haired boy eventually worked up the nerve to say.

"You lookin' for recommendations?" The man repeated with a gruff tone, staring at Ren with a steely gaze. Ren nervously gulped as he nodded.

"I dunno, just buy whatever looks interestin' to you." The man said dismissively, turning his attention back to his manga.

"Some customer service..." Ren muttered quietly under his breath. Unfortunately, the man still heard him. He glared at the glasses wearing boy and placed his manga down onto the counter.

'Oh god oh god oh god oh god....' Ren panicked inwardly, scared that the man was going to attack him or something.

"Fine, whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?" The man irritatedly huffed.

"Um, I don't really have a preference?" Ren honestly replied. He wasn't sure which would be easier to use. The man huffed again, pulling the toothpick out of his mouth, revealing it to actually be a lollipop.

"Listen, this here's an enthusiast shop. My regulars'll be mad if I let a casual like you hang around." He informed the teenager.

'That makes sense...' Ren thought to himself. He wasn't really sure how to win the guy over. So he lied.

"Well, I've only recently become interested in the whole gun and other weapons scene, so I don't really know a lot yet. I was hoping that getting some realistic models would help me learn faster." He ad-libbed, hoping the shopkeeper would buy his story.

"That's fair, kid. Let's see... How about I give you a pistol and a machine gun? They're pretty good for beginners, I guess. You'll hafta pay full price for them, of course." The man suggested. Ren could have sworn that he saw the man smirk.

"How much do they cost?" Ren asked, determined to get those weapons. The shopkeeper showed him the cheapest options. As Ren checked his wallet, he noticed a relatively cheap dagger that seemed to be pretty high quality.

"I'll take them both, and could I please have that dagger too?" He spoke up, pulling the money out of his wallet.

"Sure thing. Just keep them in a bag or somethin’ when you’re in public and don’t go causing any trouble with ‘em. I don’t wanna hafta deal with the fuzz." The man replied as he retrieved the weapons and handed them over to Ren before gesturing for the teenager to hand over the money.   
“I understand, Sir.” Ren complied and picked up the weapons to test them. He preferred the feeling of the pistol. He wondered if he should give the machine gun to Hifumi or Yusuke, however as he thought, Hifumi picked out a naginata and a bow and arrow for herself.

'Yusuke, it is, then.' He thought as the shopkeeper handed him his change.

"Pleasure doin' business with ya, kid." The man chuckled ominously. Ren just nervously thanked him and walked over to Yusuke, letting Hifumi pay for her items.

"Hey, I got this gun for you, so if you wanna get that katana, go ahead. I can still buy some snacks." He quietly whispered to the artist. Yusuke turned to look at the gun, nodding thoughtfully at it.

"I see. Yes, that looks perfect for me, thank you. Well then, I'll buy this, then." Yusuke smiled softly as he spoke, carefully picking up the katana.

"Hey, what about me?! Why don't I get any weapons?!" Morgana indignantly cried out from within Ren's bag.

'Oh shit, I forgot about Morgana' Ren thought to himself.

"Hifumi seems to have also bought a slingshot. I would assume that's for you." Yusuke remarked, pointing to the graceful girl picking up a slingshot from the counter.

"At least someone cares about me!" Morgana puffed.

"Hey, Yusuke, if I give you the money for it, could you buy a cutlass for Morgana?" Ren offered, pulling out his wallet.

"No need. I have enough money of my own to buy it." Yusuke replied.

"But-"

"No. It's fine. Look, you're new in the area and you mostly need to take care of yourself, right? It would probably be best if you kept some money saved up." Yusuke rebutted, picking up the cutlass and walking towards the counter before Ren could protest.

"You just got told." The cat giggled.

"Can it, cat." Ren hissed quietly back, waiting patiently for his friends as Hifumi finished her purchase and Yusuke stepped towards the counter.

"Not a cat!" Morgana snapped back. Hifumi just chuckled quietly at the cat's protests as she approached them, handing the slingshot to her feline teammate. Ren placed his weapons in his bag, squeezing them in next to Morgana.

"Do you have any ideas for snacks to buy?" Hifumi asked to pass the time as Yusuke paid for his items. Ren thought about it for a bit before answering.

"Maybe some energy drinks, but y'know, healthy ones? Can't exactly explore palaces if you have a heart attack... Um, maybe some fruit? Protein bars? Chocolate could be good?" He suggested thoughtfully. Hifumi just nodded in agreement.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." Yusuke announced as walked over to them. Ren handed the machine gun replica to him, which Yusuke carefully slipped into his bag, along with his katana and Morgana's cutlass.

"Well then, should we get going?" Ren offered, gesturing for his friends to go first. As they left the shop, Ren stopped and gave the shopkeeper a thankful bow. The intimidating man just gave him a nod of acknowledge as the teenager scurried out of the shop.

After purchasing every supply that they could possibly need, the teens made their way to Madarame's shack. They positioned themselves at the nearby playground so they didn't seem suspicious to any passersby.

"Yusuke, are you absolutely sure that you want to do this?" Ren cautiously asked, wanting to be certain before they did something they regretted.

"Yes. Besides, it's not like we have any other choice at this point." Yusuke confidently answered.

"That's true..." Hifumi anxiously mumbled, remembering that they could possibly be arrested if they failed. Ren couldn't help but bite his lip at that thought. If Madarame did press charges against them, he would definitely end up in a juvenile centre. Just the thought alone made him feel sick.

"Well then, we're all set. Should we get going?" Morgana spoke up from his comfy spot in Ren's bag.

"Right. Let's get going." Ren announced, pushing himself up from his seat on the swing.

"Heyyy! Wait! Do you kids mind if I ask you a few questions?" A woman's voice suddenly called out to them. The teenagers turned around to discover a woman in casual clothes with sunglasses on top of her black haired head, bright red lipstick, and a camera hanging from around her neck approaching them.

"Um..." Ren awkwardly mumbled, not entirely sure how to react.

"I was just wondering if any of you know about the rumours surrounding Madarame." The woman explained. The teens froze. Out of all the possible subjects, why did it have to be that one?

"What rumours?" Hifumi asked, skillfully pretending that she didn't know what the woman was talking about.

"Well... Apparently a lot of Madarame's most famous pieces aren't actually created by him. Apparently they were painted by several of his students but Madarame stole them and published them under his own name." She informed them.

"Really?" Ren asked, playing dumb as he tried his best to keep the contents of his bag out of the woman's sight.

"Yes, really! Some people are also saying that he abused his students as well! Word on the street is that the abuse and plagiarism was so bad that it drove a student to commit suicide!" She shared all the information she had with the teens.

"That's horrible..." Hifumi muttered, a bitter scowl on her face. Ren worriedly glanced over at Yusuke, who was frowning down at the floor with a troubled look in his eyes.

"Oh well..." The woman huffed disappointedly, scratching the back of her neck. "I was hoping that maybe you guys would know something, since you seem to be from the area, but nope..."

"Sorry that we couldn't be any help..." Ren apologised quietly. The woman sighed before her eyes suddenly lit up as an idea popped into her head.

"Tell you what, keep an eye and an ear out for anything. If you learn any interesting info, feel free to contact me!" She offered, handing her business card to the fluffy haired boy. Ren quickly read it.

Ichiko Ohya

Maiasa Newspaper

'Oh, she's a journalist. That makes sense' He thought as he slipped the card into his pocket.

"We'll see what we can do." Ren replied.

"Thanks so much! You kids are the best!" She thanked them enthusiastically, stepping back to begin walking away when another thought suddenly popped into her head.

"Y'know... With all this talk of plagiarism really gets you thinking... Makes you wonder if Madarame even created the Sayuri, huh?" She remarked with a thoughtful look on her face. Yusuke's eyes widened at those words and his face tensed up.

"Anyhoo... I should be going. Thanks for the help, kiddos! See ya!" Ohya cheerfully said goodbye as she wandered away. Hifumi let out an anxious sigh that she had been holding in.

"Yusuke...? You doing okay?" Ren checked on the shaken up artist nervously.

"Yes. I'm fine." He stiffly answered. The distant look in his wasn't very reassuring. Ren carefully placed his hand on Yusuke's shoulder, causing the blue haired boy to look at him.

"We're gonna change Madarame's heart. He is gonna answer for his crimes. Okay?" He assured Yusuke, comfortingly squeezing his shoulder. Yusuke's surprised face morphed in a determined expression at those words.

"Okay." was his response.

"Then, let's get going, yeah?" Ren light-heartedly suggested, picking up his bag and pulling out his phone as he began walking towards Madarame's house with Hifumi following close behind. Yusuke stood up to follow them but stopped in his tracks as another troubled frown made its way onto his face.

"That's impossible... There's no way that the Sayuri..." He muttered to himself before cutting himself off and desperately shaking his head in an attempt to push those thoughts from his mind before running after his teammates.

Ren knew that exploring the palace would be difficult, but he never realised it would be that difficult. The days flew by as the group slowly made progress through the extravagant museum. The teenagers would have to take breaks on some days after particularly grueling treks through the palace. Ren was worried that it would be difficult to balance his thief business with his regular school life. He was still managing pretty well at school, keeping on top of all of his homework and scholarship, not to mention studying for upcoming exams. He had a surprise one night when Sojiro gave him a key to the cafe, telling him that he could go out at night now. Ren decided to take that as an opportunity to earn some more money for thief supplies and took a part time job at the beef bowl shop on Central Street. It couldn't be that hard, he thought. He was wrong. He was very wrong. That job was hell. He was always the only one on the night shift and the manager would always leave at some point in the evening without telling him. It was just neverending stress and Ren hated it. At least he got a decent amount of money? Yeah, no. He planned to quit the moment he found a better job.

During those weeks, Ren had acquired three more confidants. Sojiro had become his Hierophant arcana after he began teaching Ren how to make coffee. Ren honestly really enjoyed these lessons and he got to see the softer side to Sojiro that was usually hidden behind his gruff exterior. Takemi had become his Death arcana after he had struck a deal with her. He would be her guinea pig for her new experimental medicine in exchange for more efficient medicine. And Toranosuke Yoshida, the politician who gave speeches in Station Square, had become Ren’s Sun arcana. They had met once again during one of Ren’s particularly hectic shifts. Yoshida was quite impressed by Ren’s work ethic, but did not approve of the restaurant for overworking him. Ren began helping Yoshida during his Sunday speeches and, in return, Yoshida would teach him how to give compelling speeches. Yoshida was a really lovely guy, he acted like a kindly uncle to Ren, so it made the teen sad to see people heckling him. He made it a point to call out the especially rude assholes.

As the deadline grew closer, Ren decided to focus the majority of his attention on the palace. Three days before the deadline, the thieves finally reached the treasure in the furthest area of the palace. They weren't expecting it to be easy, but they sure as hell weren't expecting the treasure to be surrounded by laser sensors, guarded by multiple guards and Madarame himself. Luckily they had discovered the treasure room's control panel and electronic room.

Their discoveries had helped them form a plan for the heist.

Yusuke would tie Morgana to a hook that could lowered down to the treasure.

Hifumi would sneak into the control room and turn off all the lights.

After the lights were turned off, she would send a signal to Yusuke.

Yusuke would then signal to Ren, who would be stationed in front of the hook's controls.

Ren would lower Morgana down and the cat would grab the treasure.

Yusuke would signal to Ren again to lift the cat back up.

Yusuke would untie Morgana and the group would meet up on the rafters and escape through the nearby window.

It was a perfect plan. Ren loved it. It reminded him of the anime he would watch as a kid about a phantom thief pulling off grand heists. The group made their way back to the closest safe room so they could discuss the next step with the security of knowing that they couldn't be ambushed by shadows.

"So, that weird... floating, hazy light thing was the treasure?" Ren asked, not entirely convinced just yet.

"Hold on, I was going to explain after we got this far." Morgana huffed. The three teenagers gathered around the cat, eager to hear his explanation.

"Simply finding the Treasure isn't enough. We'll need to make it materialise before we can steal it." The cat informed them. The other thieves glanced at each other in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Yusuke queried.

"Desires have no physical form by nature. Hence, we'll first need to make the real person aware that their desires are in fact a Treasure. Once they're conscious that their desires may be stolen, the Treasure will finally show itself." Morgana continued, watching his teammates carefully.

"But how do we do that?" Hifumi asked, taking off her mask and placing it on top of her head.

"We warn them. Tell them, 'We're going to steal your heart'" Morgana informed them with a huge grin.

"So we send a calling card?! That's such a classic Phantom Thief move!" Ren excitedly giggled, his eyes sparkling.

"Once we do that, the Treasure will appear for certain! ...I think!" Morgana declared, sounding semi confidant.

"...You think?" Yusuke repeated, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

"Either way, it's worth giving a shot." Hifumi spoke up with an optimistic smile. The three boys agreed with her.

"Our infiltration route is secure. All that's left now is to pump out a calling card in reality, then come back to take the Treasure!" Morgana announced determinedly.

"This is it, huh?" said Yusuke, seeming a little tense.

"Let's do this." Ren asserted with determination, placing a hand on Yusuke's shoulder to support him. That small gesture meant a lot to Yusuke. It let him that he had a friend he could rely on.

"That's the spirit!" Morgana cheered. "Once we send out the calling card, there will be no turning back. Just let me know when you're ready. We'll head back to the hideout and send out that calling card!"

The whole group agreed that they should probably meet up the next day since the deadline was drawing near. They needed to end this. Morgana let out a tired but accomplished sigh,

"Well then, let's head back and rest up for the night."

Ren let out a large yawn as he shuffled into Leblanc's attic. The moment he placed his bag down and Morgana leapt out, his phone buzzed. It was the thief group chat. Ren plonked himself down onto his bed and groaned tiredly as he opened up the chat.

[Yusuke: Are you home yet? I'm exhausted...]

[Ren: Yeah... It hit me like a freaking ton of bricks the moment I sat down...]

[Hifumi: Well, I guess we did walk pretty far in today.]

[Hifumi: I'm glad we found the Treasure, though.]

[Yusuke: So, Madarame will confess to everything if we steal that, correct?]

Ren saw Morgana nod out of the corner of his eye.

[Ren: Morgana says yeah.]

[Hifumi: Either way, should we meet up on the school roof after lessons are finished tomorrow?]

[Yusuke: Yes, that's a good idea.]

[Ren: Yeah, I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'm gonna go pass out now. K bye.]

[Yusuke: Fair enough. Good night, Ren.]

[Hifumi: I'll think I do the same. Sleep well, everyone.]

Ren put his phone on charge and promptly collapsed down onto his back.

"Shouldn't you change into your pyjamas and take off your glasses first?" Morgana asked, nonchalantly washing his paw. Ren just groaned, sluggishly pulling himself up and grabbing the nearest pair of pyjamas. He pulled his school uniform and just chucked it onto a nearby chair before putting on his pyjamas and placing his glasses down on the shelf. His head had barely even touched the pillow before he was out cold.

Ren felt extremely restless the entire school as he waiting with anticipation for their meeting about the calling card. The idea of the heist had him excited and he couldn't wait to get it over with. All they had to do was send the calling card and steal Madarame's heart and then he wouldn't have to deal with the stress of the looming threat of being arrested again. As soon as the final bell rang, Ren cleared his desk and arranged his bag. His two human teammates looked at him and silently nodded before all walking up the roof. After sitting down and making themselves comfortable, they began their meeting.

"All right! All that's left now is to send out the calling card and steal Madarame's heart!" Morgana declared determinedly.

"Couldn't we have just sent a calling card at the beginning of all of this?" Hifumi asked, taking a quick sip of her drink.

"It's not that simple. A Treasure won't stay materialised forever. Once the impression is gone, the Treasure will disappear. I think it'll last a day at most." the cat explained.

"That's barely any time at all..." Ren muttered at that disappointing news.

"Either way, we can send the calling card now, correct? Let's do it and steal Madarame's heart." Yusuke spoke up, wanting to the mission over with. That was understandable. It must have been physically and emotionally draining for him.

"Tomorrow's finally the day." said Ren, hoping to calm Yusuke down. It seemed to work.

"So we send the calling card in the morning... and carry out the plan by the end of the day, right?" Hifumi checked nervously.

"Correct. The effect won't last that long... Are you worried?" Morgana replied.

"A little. But, that's not gonna stop us now." Hifumi answered with a slight smirk.

"Perfect."

"We're going to pull this off, no matter what." Yusuke announced, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"So, who's going to write the card?" Morgana enquired with a twitch of his tail.

"I don't I would be able to... Madarame is familiar with my writing and drawing style... He would figure it out right away..." Yusuke huffed dejectedly.

"Perhaps I could write it and come up with a basic design for a logo, and then you could refine them?" Hifumi suggested. Yusuke thought about for a few seconds before letting a chuckle and nodding.

"Alright. Sounds like a plan." He eventually said.

"The last problem is: how are we gonna get Madarame to see the calling card? If Yusuke gives it to him, he's gonna get caught for sure. Plus, there's a security camera in the area right?" Ren voiced his concerns.

"Don't worry about that, I've already got a plan. I'll just need to be near the shack. Would you be able to take back home with you, Yusuke?" Morgana announced with a devious smirk. Yusuke tilted his head in confusion.

"Very well?" He agreed, despite having no idea what the cat was planning.

"Is that everything?" Hifumi asked, tucking her silky hair behind her ear.

"It would appear so." Yusuke remarked as he stretched his back.

"Alright then! Meeting adjourned!" Morgana declared. Ren stood up with a smirk.

"Let's get this show on the road."


End file.
